Incredible Mateusz Klich journey goes full circle as Leeds United seek revenge at Cardiff City

United's abysmal record in Cardiff had been well documented in recent times with the Whites having gone over 32 years without a win in the Welsh capital February 1984.

Back then, George McCluskey goal's in front of a gate of 9,405 fans sealed a Bluebirds double in the old Division Two but incredibly Leeds then went over 31 years and 17 games without recording another win against their foes from south Wales.

Seven defeats and two draws in Cardiff followed plus five losses and three draws at Elland Road before Alex Mowatt finally broke the hoodoo by bagging the only goal of the game under Steve Evans for a 1-0 win at home to the Bluebirds in November 2015.

The Cardiff away curse was then broken just four months later when goals from Souleymane Doukara and Mirco Antenucci ended the grim run through a 2-0 win under Evans in March 2016.

A Chris Wood penalty and Pablo Hernandez strike then gave Garry Monk's Whites a 2-0 triumph at Cardiff in September 2016 but United's most recent trip to Cardiff under Thomas Christiansen in September 2017 proved a disaster that ended in a 3-1 defeat.

Mateusz Klich's slip led to Cardiff's opening goal through livewire Kenneth Zohore with Klich substituted after 67 minutes for what would prove his last league start of the season before being loaned out to FC Utrecht after being deemed surplus to requirements.

With United 2-0 down after Junior Hoilett's strike flew past 'keeper Felix Wiedwald, skipper Liam Cooper was also sent off following a second yellow card following a late tackle on the stroke of half-time.

Zohore tapped home his second and Cardiff's third just before the hour before Kemar Roofe struck a deflected consolation as part of a miserable Tuesday night in Wales.

February's return clash at Elland Road was then equally gloomy with Garetano Berardi sent off after two yellow cards as Neil Warnock's Bluebirds romped to a 4-1 victory en route to sealing automatic promotion by finishing second.

For the Bluebirds, immediate relegation from the Premier League followed and Leeds looked certain to return to winning ways against Cardiff at Elland Road in December only to throw away a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3.

That draw formed the first part of a hugely frustrating run that saw United pick up just ten points out of a possible 33 which saw an 11-point cushion in the automatic promotion spots wiped away to just goal difference.

Five games later, five successive victories have United eyeing the very real possibility of re-establishing a double-figure cushion in the top two this weekend with Leeds seven points clear of third placed Fulham who visit fourth-placed Brentford on Friday night.

Two and a half years after his Cardiff slip, Klich has also returned to prove one of United's best players with skipper Cooper nine games away from captaining the Whites to a return to the Premier League.

Another overdue win at the Cardiff City Stadium would do very nicely indeed en route.