Cardiff City desperately need points on Friday, Jan 1 at 4:00 PM in the Championship. With the team sitting in the bottom three, this is quickly becoming a must-win situation.

Southampton come into this fixture in mixed form (2W 2D 1L). Cardiff City travel struggling badly (1W 3L in last 5), which may hand the initiative to the hosts. Southampton head into this on the back of a defeat, while Cardiff City arrive off a win — momentum clearly with the visitors.

Head-to-head records offer little separation — Southampton and Cardiff City have split their 10 meetings almost evenly (4W–1D–5W). Their last encounter ended in Cardiff City won 3–5. These two tend to produce goals — averaging 4.0 per game in recent meetings.

Verdict: This looks an evenly matched contest. Home advantage gives Southampton a slight edge, but Cardiff City are capable of causing problems. A draw would be a fair result.