Having failed to hold on to the one-goal lead at Britannia, Cardiff City are looking to deliver the final blow and make it to the FA Cup fourth round at Stoke’s expense. Nonetheless, the Potters are also eager to qualify for the next stage, even if Tony Pulis is likely to make changes to the starting line-up.

The Beast already biting

After missing out on the Premiership berth last season following the 3:2 defeat to Blackpool in the play-off final, Cardiff City quickly rallied the troops and prepared themselves for another assault on promotion. Led by very good manager Dave Jones and boasting a star-studded squad, the Bluebirds are again seen as the hot favourites for the Championship title. They have been a bit inconsistent this season, especially of late but everybody expects them to come good and achieve a historic success. The Bluebirds proved their credentials in the first match against Stoke as they had even taken the lead, so we expect another strong performance and at least one goal in the opponent’s net.

Dave Jones is unlikely to risk Craig Bellamy in this clash but Jay Boothroyd could play some part after recovering from injury, whereas new signing Jon ‘The Beast’ Parkin will keep his place in the side after scoring on his debut against Norwich.

Tony Pulis set to ring changes

Largely thanks to boss Tony Pulis, Stoke have established themselves as a solid Premiership sides and their fans no longer have to worry about survival. Besides being pretty impressive at their Britannia, the Potters have started bringing points from the travels and that is what’s keeping them in the top part of the table. Being completely worry-free in the Premiership, Stoke can turn to the FA Cup and try to reach the final stages of the competition, meaning they will be very motivated to finish the job in Cardiff. Having scored in every one of their last four games, the Potters are likely to continue the run in this clash.

Tony Pulis is set to rest some of the first team regulars, but Ricardo Fuller returns after missing the Bolton win. Eidur Gudjohnsen remains a doubt, while Mamadou Sidibe is out injured.

Verdict

The match between two attack-minded sides is likely to bring us a lot of excitement and seeing both sides will be looking for a win, we could easily see a high-scoring game. Even without Bellamy in the side Cardiff have got plenty of attacking potential and since Stoke are also in good scoring form, our advice is to back both teams to score.

Our prediction: Both teams to score

Odds: 1.80 (4/5)

Bookmaker: Bet365