Before Kick-Off

Both sides came into this match having lost their opening day fixture. Cardiff’s return to the Premier League after a 4 season absence ended in a 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth in a match they found very difficult. Newcastle, on the other hand, faced a tough test in Spurs and gave a spirited performance and were unlucky not to get at least a point.

Cardiff boss Neil Warnock has previous history with Rafa Benitez. He made accusatory comments towards the Magpies boss back when the Spaniard managed Liverpool and Warnock Sheffield United. The accusation was that Rafa fielded a weakened side against Sheffield United’s relegation rivals Fulham, losing that match to leave the Blades on the brink of relegation. He chose to downplay the feud in his pre-match presser ahead of this game.

They key intrigue for this game would be how Newcastle would deal with Cardiff’s play style. No pretty football was expected from the Bluebirds who gained notoriety for a very direct play style that gained promotion. Newcastle would be in for a battle in Wales.