Our prediction for this Championship match:
Cardiff
Match Time & Date:
07/08/2021
16:00
Prediction: 1-1
Barnsley
Cardiff City play host to Barnsley at their Cardiff City Stadium in what is expected to be a close encounter. The Bluebirds finished the last season with a six-game unbeaten run, and, no doubt, they want the trend to be continued. The likes of James Collins, Ryan Wintle, Marc McGuinness, and Ryan Giles signed for the club in the summer transfer window, whilst Sol Bamba, Jonathan Williams, and Robert Glatzel, to name just a few, are no longer part of the team.
The Tykes, on the other hand, did well to make it to the Championship playoffs last term, but Swansea eventually proved to be a big catch for them in the double-header. Barnsley are eager to kick off the new season in style, but beating Cardiff City on the road is easier said than done. Anyhow, share of spoils is on the cards. New signings Devante Cole is likely to make his Barnsley debut against Cardiff.
Highlighted Player (Sol Bamba):
Souleymane “Sol” Bamba is an Ivory Coast international who plays for Leeds United in the Championship. The defender spent five years in PSG youth school (1999-2004) and he made no more than one league appearance for the first team.
In July 2006 he signed for Scottish team Dunfermline and after spending two years at East End Park, he moved to fellow Scottish Premier League club Hibernian in 2008. Sol Bamba played as a centre back for the Hibs and he was producing brilliant performances with the Easter Road outfit.
The Ivory Coast defender used to play for the likes of Leicester City, Trabzonspor and Palermo in the past as well and on 24 June, 2015 he signed a permanent deal with Leeds United. Bamba made his Ivory Coast debut in 2008 in a friendly game against Israel. Over the years he has established himself as Ivory Coast first-team regular, but he was surprisingly omitted from the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Ivory Coast squad. Bamba is a 190-cm-tall centre back and he is well known for his aerial skills and brilliant tackles.
Highlighted Team (Barnsley):
Barnsley are an English club nicknamed the Tykes. The club was founded in 1887 and it has to be noted that they spend more seasons in the Championship than any other club in the history. The Tykes played in the Sheffield and District League from 1890, but in 1895 they were part of the Midland League. Barnsley play their home games at Oakwell, the stadium that was built in 1887.
The capacity of the stadium is 23,009 and it was opened back in 1888, just one year after the club’s foundation. The Tykes made it to the FA Cup final in 1910, but Newcastle United proved to be a big catch for the Oakwell outfit in the title game.
Nonetheless, Barnsley won the FA cup trophy in 1912 and that is considered the club’s biggest success. Barnsley defeated West Bromwich Albion in the two-legged tie (0-0, 1-0) to clinch the prestigious trophy for the first and only time in their history.
Man City 
Everton
Bournemouth
Crystal Palace 
Chelsea 
Fulham
Newcastle 
Aston Villa 
Nottingham Forest 
Tottenham
Southampton 
West Ham 
