'Would like to think' - Former Leeds United man's Cardiff City prediction after 'poor' Burnley defeat

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Leeds United face Cardiff City in Wales on Saturday.

David Prutton expects Leeds United to right the wrongs of last week’s defeat against Burnley with a convincing win over Saturday’s hosts Cardiff City.

Leeds suffered their first defeat of the season against fellow promotion hopefuls Burnley, with Luca Koleosho pouncing on Manor Solomon’s slip to score the only goal of the game inside 18 minutes. Daniel Farke’s side dominated possession and had early chances, but familiar problems resurfaced and an underwhelming second-half left fans frustrated on their way home from Elland Road.

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Saturday’s trip to the Cardiff City Stadium offers a great chance for Leeds and Farke to get back to winning ways, with the Bluebirds rock-bottom of the Championship and winless from their opening five games. And Prutton expects last week’s issues to be swiftly resolved with the point heading back up north.

“Well Cardiff are in a massive rut aren’t they, the fact they sit bottom with just a solitary point,” Prutton told Sky Sports’ EFL Predictions Podcast. “Leeds, that poor defending that opened up the whole of the pitch for Koleosho against Burnley.

“You would like to think they will right that and I am going to go a Leeds win on the road here. It’s a trip and a half but I think they’ll get all three points. Cardiff 0-2 Leeds.”

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Leeds and Farke will benefit from a full week of uninterrupted training, having fallen victim to their own success with several first-team players away on international duty before Burnley. Elimination from the Carabao Cup opened up the past week and with four new signings arriving so late in the summer, that extra time at Thorp Arch could prove crucial.

Farke will not have Dan James available this weekend, with the winger suffering a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury ahead of the meeting with Burnley. He is expected to be out until the October international break, while Max Wober is also battling fitness issues and is yet to start a league game since returning from Borussia Monchengladbach. In his Thursday press conference, the Whites boss also revealed minor issues for Joe Rodon, Junior Firpo, Manor Solomon and Joe Rothwell but hopes all will be okay.

The latest in a tricky run

A trip to the team sitting bottom and winless from five might seem an ideal opportunity for three points, but Leeds fans will think otherwise when it comes to Cardiff. The Bluebirds have been a huge bogey team in the past, producing some memorable results at key moments to derail the Whites.

Leeds have won just one of the last seven league meetings with Cardiff, who proved a stumbling block for Marcelo Bielsa during the 2019/20 title-winning campaign. Farke will take hope from that sole victory being in this fixture last term, with his side running out 3-0 winners at the Cardiff City Stadium in January.

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Saturday’s trip to Cardiff is the easiest game on paper of a really tricky fixture run, with the five following games all coming against likely promotion rivals. Farke’s side host Coventry City, Sheffield United and Watford in the next five weeks, with trips to Sunderland and Norwich City coming between.

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