Kick-off: 1945, 30/07/2020
Stadium: Craven Cottage
TV: Sky Sports
Fulham ultimately looked a cut above Cardiff in the first leg of their Championship play-offs semi-final and can also shade the return fixture.
However, the Bluebirds did create enough chances early on to suggest they will have their moments at Craven Cottage on Thursday night.
The Cottagers actually conceded more goals at this tight ground than on the road in the regular season, with visiting teams able to get balls into the box.
Let’s go with 16/5 for a home win and both teams to score for our initial Fulham vs Cardiff prediction.
A Look At Fulham’s Betting Odds
Fulham stretched their unbeaten run to eight matches when prevailing 2-0 in Wales, with six of those games now having ended in victory.
Superb second-half goals from Josh Onomah and Neeskens Kebano put the Cottagers in a commanding position, as they aim to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt.
“We weathered the storm early on and got a foothold in the game,” commented head coach Scott Parker.
“Overall, it was a good performance, I think we’re well worthy of the two-goal lead at this stage.
“It will be another huge battle on Thursday and this is only halfway through, but we’ll stand up to the challenge.”
Fulham lost 26-goal top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic before kick-off with a slight hamstring injury but have plenty of other attacking options.
It’s worth noting that they secured three straight wins when the Serbian was suspended recently!
With the Bluebirds forced to come out and play in west London, 11/5 for a home win and over 2.5 goals in the game is another good alternative from the Fulham vs Cardiff odds.
Last Fulham line-up: Rodak, Hector, Ream, Christie, Bryan, Kebano, Cairney, Reed, Knockaert, Onomah, Reid.
A Look At Cardiff City’s Betting Odds
Cardiff were left to rue early missed opportunities in Wales, with Robert Glatzel denied by some excellent defending from Michael Hector and then shooting straight at Marek Rodak.
“The first 25 minutes we were excellent, but we have to take one of our chances then and get on top,” said Neil Harris.
The Bluebirds were also beaten 2-0 by Fulham at Craven Cottage earlier this month, but then went on to finish the regular season with three straight wins.
Eight goals were scored in those matches and Harris is refusing to give up hope ahead of the second leg.
He added: “Fulham are huge favourites now but we are capable, with the players and the camaraderie we’ve got, of scoring goals.
“We are capable of clawing this back. We have the right character and mentality.”
City can’t afford to hang around in west London, but that could also make them vulnerable at the back.
We’re adding 15/4 for both teams to score in the first half to our Fulham vs Cardiff betting tips.
Last Cardiff line-up: Smithies, Bennett, Morrison, Nelson, Bacuna, Ralls, Pack, Mendez-Laing, Hoilett, Glatzel, Tomlin.
Additional stats
First-leg result:
CARDIFF 0-2 FULHAM – Josh Onomah, Neeskens Kebano
Previous head-to-head: Fulham 2-0 Cardiff, Cardiff 1-1 Fulham, Fulham 1-0 Cardiff, Cardiff 4-2 Fulham, Cardiff 2-4 Fulham, Fulham 1-1 Cardiff
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