Liverpool vs. Cardiff City Preview

Liverpool will bid to end their six year wait for major silverware when they take on Championship outfit Cardiff City in the Carling Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday February 26.

And the Reds, as expected, head into the contest as heavy favourites after their excellent semi-final success over Premier League leaders Manchester City – a result which has put the club realistically in contention for a double domestic cup success following their equally impressive victory over Manchester United in the fourth round of the F.A Cup.

Liverpool are certainly on a high and it now seems as if Kenny Dalglish’s men are set to complete a successful season after initially failing to inspire in the Premier League.

Chasing a top four finish which would bring Champions League football back to the Kop, Liverpool can at least guarantee some form of European football for the 2012/2013 campaign by beating Cardiff at Wembley and they are justified 2/5 favourites to get the job done in ninety minutes.

The Reds are a dangerous side when in form and with captain Steven Gerrard now back to his best, Liverpool are a formidable team once again and look more than capable of turning over anyone on their day.

So the task at hand for Cardiff City and manager Malky Mackay is unquestionably a stern one and although the Bluebirds have been impressive in their own right en route to the Wembley showpiece, it is hard to make a case for them lifting the honours on the basis of what they have to offer in comparison to their more illustrious opponents.

The Welsh outfit have done extremely well in the Npower Championship this season and are still boxing in and around the play-off zone despite being lightweight on last season with regards to the departures of Craig Bellamy, Michael Chopra and Jay Bothroyd.

One feels that the Cardiff class of last season may have given a sometimes rigid Liverpool a decent run for their money considering the amount of pace and energy which they had amongst them. Nevertheless, City’s recent drubbing at the hands of a fairly average Ipswich Town more than exposed their flaws and weaknesses in terms of promotion credentials and because of this it is impossible to suggest that they can make a sufficient enough step up and improvement to sink a Liverpool side which is packed full of quality and skill – even if this is at times brought about individually as opposed to from their unit as a whole.

Granted, Liverpool have made heavy weather of ‘lesser’ opposition in the past and Cardiff in many ways adopt the same kind of profile as Birmingham City in 2001 who took Liverpool all the way in the final.

But the 2/5 looks just about right considering that there are approximately 20 league positions between the two teams and the Reds can confirm their superiority in style, giving the club its first trophy in the post-Benitez era.

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20/02/2012     © Frixo 2024