Northampton Town vs Cardiff City
5th September 1500hrs
Football – England – EFL Cup
Pick Away Win -1
Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 12/5 odds taken 1400 GMT, Friday 4 September
Northampton Town and Cardiff City square off at Sixfields Stadium on Saturday in the first round of the Carabao Cup. Keith Curle’s Cobblers are gearing up for a season in the third tier after promotion from EFL League Two last term. As for the Bluebirds, they finished fifth in the 2019-20 EFL Championship. Will Cardiff leave the East Midlands with a win and a place in the second round? We have the best betting odds and tips.
Table of Contents
Northampton Town Preview – Cobblers to find it tough going against the Championship giants?
The 2019-20 League Two was cut short, but Northampton Town crept into the top seven with 58 points, a point more than Port Vale, who missed out in eighth. Overall, Keith Curle’s men won 17 times, drew seven games and suffered 13 defeats.
Northampton had lost six of eight league and cup matches ahead of the play-offs. Town were then beaten 2-0 at home by Cheltenham Town in the first leg. However, they produced a stunning comeback in the second leg away from home, with Callum Morton netting twice after Vadaine Oliver’s opener to claim a shock 3-0 win.
In the final, Northampton thumped Exeter City 4-0 at Wembley Stadium thanks to goals from Ryan Watson, Morton, Sam Hoskins and Andy Williams.
Northampton will be hoping to stay in EFL League One come May 2021. There are several huge clubs competing in the third tier this term, including Sunderland, Portsmouth and Ipswich Town. Still, the Cobblers will enjoy their time in League One whatever happens.
Cardiff City Preview – Bluebirds to get the win in Northamptonshire?
Cardiff City made a sluggish start to their 2019-20 season under Neil Warnock. Neil Harris took over in November 2019, guiding the Bluebirds to the Championship play-offs. Cardiff were strong after the restart, winning six times to secure a fifth-place finish.
Despite a brave effort against Scott Parker’s Fulham in the Championship play-off semi-finals, Cardiff fell to a 3-2 aggregate defeat. They lost 2-0 at the Cardiff City Stadium before beating the Cottagers 2-1 at Craven Cottage in the second leg.
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Cardiff turned themselves into one of the best away teams in the Championship last season. The Bluebirds did not win away from home until November 30th, but they ended the campaign with seven wins from nine away fixtures.
The Welsh outfit are one of the favourites for promotion to the Premier League before a ball has been kicked this season, but they will want to start with a win in the Carabao Cup before kicking off their league season against Sheffield Wednesday next weekend.
Northampton Town vs Cardiff City Betting Advice
This will be the first meeting between Northampton and Cardiff since a League Cup encounter back in August 2012. Town came from behind to win that one on home turf. The pair have not met in league action since the 2002-03 Division Two campaign.
Key Facts – Northampton Town vs Cardiff City Betting Tip
- Northampton have won two of their last three against Cardiff
- The Cobblers were promoted via the League Two play-offs last term
- The Bluebirds finished in fifth spot in the 2019-20 Championship, losing out to Fulham in the play-offs
Cardiff were incredibly strong at the end of last season, bulldozing their way into the Championship play-offs with a string of wins. Can the club from South Wales start 2020-21 with victory in the EFL Cup?
Harris’ Bluebirds will fancy their chances at Sixfields on Saturday, and the Championship heavyweights should be too strong for the League One new boys. Our money is going on the away team to win -1 at 12/5.
The best betting odds for Northampton Town vs Cardiff City
Northampton Town to win: 11/4 at Bet365
Draw: 13/5 at Bet365
Cardiff City to win: 19/20 at Bet365
