Cardiff City's final 11 fixtures compared to play-off rivals

Cardiff City's final 11 fixtures compared to play-off rivals Barnsley, Bournemouth and Middlesbrough

The race for the top-six spots is really beginning to heat up now and it looks like it will go right down to the wire


By Glen Williams



Mick McCarthy's soaring Bluebirds are right in the play-off mix now as we reach boiling point in this Championship season.

Cardiff City have emerged from nowhere to appear on the cusp of an unlikely top-six charge after a stunning spell of 11 games unbeaten.

This resurgent City side have the wind in their sails as they enter the last 11 games of the campaign, but they are not alone.

While Barnsley currently occupy that coveted sixth place in the table, with a game in hand, too, Bournemouth, Cardiff and Middlesbrough are hot on their tails in a bid to usurp them come the season's end.

It is all set up to be another enthralling climax to this season, but who will come out on top?

As we enter the final few weeks of the campaign, how do Cardiff City's fixtures compare with play-off rivals Barnsley, Bournemouth and Boro? We take a look...






Cardiff City fixtures

Saturday, March 13: Watford (H)

Tuesday, March 16: Stoke City (H)

Saturday, March 20: Swansea City (A)

Friday, April 2: Nottingham Forest (H)

Monday, April 5: Sheffield Wednesday (A)

Saturday, April 10: Blackburn Rovers (H)

Saturday, April 17: Reading (A)

Tuesday, April 20: Brentford (A)

Saturday, April 24: Wycombe (H)

Saturday, May 1: Birmingham (A)

Saturday, May 8: Rotherham (H)

On the face of it, Cardiff City's play-off push could well hinge on the next 15 days.

The Bluebirds face Watford, who are currently in the automatic promotion spots, Stoke City and arch-rivals Swansea City in their next three matches and it looks an extremely daunting set of fixtures.

Cardiff also have a tricky few days in the middle of April, too, playing Reading and Brentford, both occupants of play-off spots at the minute, in consecutive away matches.

Should Cardiff manage to navigate their way through those fixtures up until that point they will think that, relatively, they have an OK run-in, with relegation candidates Wycombe, Birmingham and Rotherham all to come in their final three matches.




Barnsley fixtures

Wednesday, March 10: Derby County (H)

Saturday, March 13: Bournemouth (A)

Wednesday, March 17: Wycombe (A)

Saturday, March 20: Sheffield Wednesday (H)

Friday, April 2: Reading (H)

Monday, April 5: Luton Town (A)

Saturday, April 10: Middlesbrough (H)

Saturday, April 17: Coventry (A)

Wednesday, April 21: Huddersfield (A)

Saturday, April 24: Rotherham (H)

Saturday, May 1: Preston (A)

Saturday, May 8: Norwich (H)

The obvious thing to note here is that Barnsley have more fixtures left than anyone else - 12 instead of 11.

They have a game in hand on their rivals and that is a huge advantage at this stage of the season. They are unbeaten in their last nine matches and have won their last seven. So they, just like Cardiff, will have momentum with them at the minute.

The thing to pick out from their games is they have some tough games left, Bournemouth, Reading, Middlesbrough and Norwich City among them, but they are nicely spread out. The big guns are not fired at them consecutively and that is an advantage, no doubt.

Hosting runaway league leaders Norwich on the final day will be a huge challenge, though. They will want to give themselves breathing space before then.


Barnsley are on an incredible run at the moment




Bournemouth fixtures

Saturday, March 13: Barnsley (H)

Tuesday, March 17: Swansea City (H)

Friday, April 2: Middlesbrough (H)

Monday, April 5: Blackburn (A)

Saturday, April 10: Coventry (H)

Tuesday, April 13: Huddersfield (A)

Saturday, April 17: Norwich City (A)

Wednesday, April 21: Millwall (H)

Saturday, April 24: Brentford (H)

Saturday, May 1: Wycombe (A)

Saturday, May 8: Stoke City (H)

Much like Cardiff, the next three fixtures do not look inviting for Bournemouth. Barnsley, Swansea and Boro one after another is a nasty little stretch and it will be a miracle if they don't concede ground there.

The key question is just how much ground they do give up.

They have had a middling start under Jonathan Woodgate and if the next three fixtures are a disaster they could crumble and leave themselves with too much to do in their remaining eight games.

With Norwich, Millwall, Brentford and Stoke City representing four of their last five fixtures, the Cherries look to have the toughest finish of the lot.


Bournemouth have a tricky set up fixtures coming up next







Middlesbrough fixtures

Saturday, March 13: Stoke City (H)

Tuesday, March 17: Preston (H)

Saturday, March 20: Millwall (A)

Friday, April 2: Bournemouth (A)

Monday, April 5: Watford (H)

Saturday, April 10: Barnsley (A)

Saturday, April 17: QPR (H)

Wednesday, April 21: Rotherham (A)

Saturday, April 24: Sheffield Wednesday (H)

Saturday, May 1: Luton Town (A)

Saturday, May 8: Wycombe (H)

It looks like a game of two halves here for Neil Warnock's side. Their next six fixtures are tremendously tough, the worst bank of immediate fixtures of the lot.

That eight-day stretch of Bournemouth, Watford and Barnsley in April looks particularly unappealing, it must be said.

However, they will very much like the look of their run-in, of that there is no doubt. If Warnock keeps Boro in the mix come April 17, a late-season charge could ensue, with the highest-placed side they have left to play in their final five fixtures being Luton, who are currently in 14th.

That's the best stretch of fixtures of any of the play-off rivals, but it is about limiting the damage in the first six matches for them, you feel.



Neil Warnock has a nasty-looking next six fixtures in front of him for Middlesbrough (Image: Getty Images)
The verdict

Each of these teams will have cause for optimism and concern.

Bournemouth have the hardest finish of the lot, by the looks of things, and they will do extremely well to stay in the mix in the next three games.






Boro, too, have a horrible next six coming their way. After defeat by Swansea on the weekend, Warnock's men will have to summon a string of huge performances to overcome what's coming their way in the coming weeks.

As we all know with Warnock, though, it's a case of never saying never.

With that crucial game in hand, Barnsley look like the smart bet at the moment. Their tricky games are spaced out nicely for them and if they win their game in hand it affords them a nice buffer.

A stinker of a fixture is followed by a relative respite fixture feels like a big plus for the Tykes. Although the old adage in this league is that there are no easy fixtures, it's all relative.

Crucially, they are looking unstoppable at the minute. If they carry on the way they have been going, they will be tough to get past.






But that is exactly what Cardiff must do. For the Bluebirds, it's all about trying to stay in the hunt with three games to go. They don't have the worst run-in, not by a long stretch, but certainly have a number of banana skins and difficult matches still left to play.

They will no doubt back themselves, though, to get something out of their final three games, against teams who will be battling the drop at that stage, so they will have something to play for.

Jordi Osei-Tutu and Lee Tomlin will feature at some stage, you would think, so if key players like Kieffer Moore and practically all of the excellent defenders stay fit, this squad is more than capable.

If they are within three points with three games remaining, I wouldn't bet against Mick McCarthy and his men.

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Looking at the 11 games I see us finishing in 8th place, I see us getting 1 point from the next 3 games and that will finish out playoff ambitions.

Looking at the 11 games I see us finishing in 8th place, I see us getting 1 point from the next 3 games and that will finish out playoff ambitions.

Nah, we will still be in it towards last few games,then its on!! CCFC!

Looking at the 11 games I see us finishing in 8th place, I see us getting 1 point from the next 3 games and that will finish out playoff ambitions.

Nah, we will still be in it towards last few games,then its on!! CCFC!

All to play for, all the fixtures are tricky for all teams, the best will do it and we have as good a chance as any

Looking at the 11 games I see us finishing in 8th place, I see us getting 1 point from the next 3 games and that will finish out playoff ambitions.

Nah, we will still be in it towards last few games,then its on!! CCFC!

All to play for, all the fixtures are tricky for all teams, the best will do it and we have as good a chance as any

My sentiments exactly, its old, but the saying "one game at a time" suffices for me we are now into a "mini season" and im not looking any further than the next game, we have a chance & thats good enough for me keep the faith .

Brentford look to have best run in . But that's no recommendation in championship

No Easy Games In The Championship

No Easy Games In The Championship

But this is the weakest championship in years

Would really love to pick up 4pts or more from Watford and Them.

Then pick up points before our Finals against Reading and Brentford.

Looking at the 11 games I see us finishing in 8th place, I see us getting 1 point from the next 3 games and that will finish out playoff ambitions.

Nah, we will still be in it towards last few games,then its on!! CCFC!

All to play for, all the fixtures are tricky for all teams, the best will do it and we have as good a chance as any

My sentiments exactly, its old, but the saying "one game at a time" suffices for me we are now into a "mini season" and im not looking any further than the next game, we have a chance & thats good enough for me keep the faith .

Yep agreed

Still top of the form table last ten games

https://www.twtd.co.uk/league-tables/co ... -and-away/

And still unbeaten in 11, same again and we are in the playoffs