Preston North End vs Cardiff City Prediction: Preston to solidify position in top six

Preston North End will welcome Cardiff City at Deepdale Stadium in Game Week 17 of the English Championship. The teams will be fighting for a place in the top six with both the teams present in the top half of the table. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

Preston North End form

After a mixed start to the Championship season under Ryan Lowe, Preston North End will be returning to action following the November international break on a positive note. Earlier this month, they managed to climb back into the playoff positions. The team had a fantastic start to the season, winning six out of their first seven league matches and drawing the other, which placed them at the top of the table. However, they then endured a difficult period with seven consecutive matches without a win between late September and late October. During this time, they only gained three additional points, causing them to drop out of the top six. With pressure mounting, Preston North End were able to secure a crucial victory at the start of the month when they faced Coventry City. They won the match 3-2, with goals from Duane Holmes, Alan Browne, and Milutin Osmajic. Most recently, they faced their rivals Blackburn Rovers and emerged victorious, making it two consecutive wins. Browne scored the opening goal at Ewood Park, but the game seemed destined for a draw after Sammie Szmodics equalized. However, Liam Lindsay scored a last-minute winner, securing Preston North End's eighth league victory of the season. These back-to-back wins have allowed them to climb back up to fifth place in the Championship, trailing fourth-placed Southampton by only two points. They are also leading Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion, and Hull City by the same margin. It is imperative for Preston North End not to become complacent and continue their winning streak. They will be eager to pick up another three points when they play at Deepdale on Saturday.

Preston North End Predicted Lineup

Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Best; Potts, Whiteman, Browne, Brady; Holmes, Osmajic, Keane

Cardiff City form

Cardiff City, under the management of Erol Bulut, have made a promising start to their first season, accumulating 24 points from their first 16 matches and currently sitting in ninth place. Despite starting the season strong with back-to-back wins, they were unable to continue their winning streak in their last two matches before the break, settling for a draw against Stoke City and losing to Norwich City. Now in ninth place and within reach of the top six, Cardiff will be eager to get back to winning ways and secure their eighth victory of the season.

Cardiff City Predicted Lineup

Alnwick; Romeo, McGuinness, Goutas, Collins; Siopis, Ralls; Bowler, Robinson, Grant; Ugbo

Preston North End vs Cardiff City Expert Tips

Both teams exhibit comparable levels of excellence and possess the capability to inflict damage upon each other in what promises to be an engaging clash. Despite their mounting injury list, Preston should be brimming with assurance after regaining their form prior to the hiatus, and we slightly favor their chances of victory at Deepdale this weekend. Exepct a low scoring game between these two sides with total games being under 2.5.