Blackburn Rovers and Cardiff City take a break from Championship action on Wednesday night when they meet in the EFL Cup third round.

While the home side have recently dropped down to 14th position in the second tier, seventh-placed Cardiff are currently one of the form teams in the division.

Match preview

Life for Blackburn supporters has been far from dull this season, as their team have already been involved in three matches that have featured seven or more goals.

Two of those occasions have come in the EFL Cup, with Rovers edging out Walsall by a 4-3 scoreline in round one before thrashing Harrogate Town 8-0 on away territory.

However, Jon Dahl Tomasson's side were on the wrong end of a match that ended 4-3 at the weekend as they lost out to high-flying Ipswich Town in the Championship.

To their credit, Blackburn came from 1-0 and 3-1 down to level proceedings against the Tractor Boys before eventually conceding a decisive 79th-minute goal.

A total of 11 goals have been conceded in their last 360 minutes of football, hardly the ideal record when facing a team that is only growing in confidence.

Despite being able to attract Erol Bulut to the Cardiff City Stadium, supporters would have been pessimistic about trying to achieve anything other survival in the second tier.

Instead, fans are daring to dream of a return to the Premier League after Bulut guided Cardiff on a run of five wins from six games in all competitions ahead of this encounter.

That solitary reverse came at Ipswich - the home side overturning a two-goal deficit to prevail 3-2 - yet Cardiff have since responded with wins over Swansea City, Coventry City and Sunderland.

Clean sheets came in two of that triple-header, and the Welsh outfit will now attempt to build on their triumphs over Colchester United and Birmingham City in the early rounds of this competition.

Team News

Tomasson is expected to heavily rotate his Blackburn side, including handing a first start to Semir Telalovic in attack.

Dilan Markanday and Tyrhys Dolan could occupy the flanks, while Joe Rankin-Costello is set to feature at right-back or wing-back.

James Hill is in line to make his first start for the club at centre-back, with Sondre Tronstad also set to be brought into central midfield.

Bulut may opt against taking any risks with Aaron Ramsey's fitness, yet the Turkish boss will likely make changes after the long trip to Sunderland.

Mahlon Romeo, Ebou Adams, Ollie Tanner and Kion Etete are all in line to start for the visitors, while goalkeeper Runar Runarsson should be given a run-out between the sticks.

Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:
Wahlstedt; Rankin-Costello, Carter, Hill, Pickering; Tronstad, A. Wharton; Markanday, Szmodics, Dolan; Telalovic

Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Runarsson; Romeo, McGuinness, Panzo, Collins; Adams, Rinomhota; Tanner, Colwill, Robinson; Etete

We say: Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Cardiff City

With changes aplenty expected, it is impossible to predict the outcome of this contest with any great certainty. Nevertheless, we can only go with the Bluebirds who, despite only returning to South Wales late on Sunday night, are playing with an added belief under Bulut.


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