Aston Villa vs Cardiff - Preview, Best Bets & H2H Record
- JN Value Betting
- Feb 27
- 2 min read
BEST BETS:
YOUSEF SALECH - TO HAVE 2+ SHOTS - 11/10 (BET365) - 1PT
YOUSEF SALECH - TO HAVE 3+ SHOTS - 10/3 (BET365) - 0.5PTS
A fourth game in ten days proved too much for Aston Villa on Tuesday evening when they were on the end of a resounding 4-1 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace. That has left Villa sat in tenth position, albeit just six points off third place. In previous rounds, I have been keen to take on Unai Emery's side, given the domestic cup record of the Spaniard. However, the way this competition has opened up, it's likely that Emery will look to capitalise and enjoy a deep run into the latter rounds. They welcome a Cardiff side to Villa Park who sit just six points ahead of the Championship drop zone, and will have their focus firmly on maintaining their status in the second tier. Despite being in a relegation battle, they have enjoyed a good run of recent form, losing just two of their last fourteen matches since Boxing Day.
Given the mounting fixture list that awaits Aston Villa, including a crucial Champions League tie on Tuesday, it's likely that Unai Emery will utilise his squad depth here and rotate. His Villa side should still have enough to see off the Bluebirds. However, I can see them not having it all their own way. The January signing of Yousef Salech from Swedish side Sirius has aided Cardiff in their recent form. Salech has scored four goals in the 403 minutes he's played for the Welsh side, and is certainly making his presence felt. I was drawn to the 11/10 on offer for him to have 2+ shots in this one. This selection has landed in ten of his last thirteen starts, and he's been averaging 2.86 shots per 90 since signing last month. The opposing striker has had at least two shots in fourteen of Villa's last fifteen games, and with them averaging 12.05 shots faced this season, I can see Salech getting a number of shots away.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
LAST 5 MATCHES:
10/04/2018 - ASTON VILLA 1-0 Cardiff (Championship)
12/08/2017 - CARDIFF 3-0 Aston Villa (Championship)
02/01/2017 - CARDIFF 1-0 Aston Villa (Championship)
26/11/2016 - ASTON VILLA 3-1 Cardiff (Championship)
11/02/2014 - Cardiff 0-0 Aston Villa (Premier League)
