AVFC with frustration management in the FA Cup?
Aston Villa are still lagging behind the high expectations in the English top flight. With the defeat against Crystal Palace, the AVFC remained winless for the sixth time in the last seven league games during the week. The next competitive game is coming up on Friday evening – this time in the FA Cup. Our Aston Villa vs. Cardiff tip is for a clear victory for the first division club.
Cardiff have had mixed results on foreign soil in the current competitive season. In the Championship 2024/25, the Welsh side have only one win from 17 away games, with a goal difference of 17:35. This means that, on average, they have conceded more than two goals per game. Just a few weeks ago, Cardiff City lost the showdown against Leeds United in the current league competition, conceding seven goals in the process.
The visitors from Wales have not reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup since the 2007/08 season. It is quite possible that the negative streak will continue in Birmingham. The Bluebirds from Cardiff have not won against Villa on the road since 1954. An upset in the upcoming game would therefore be all the more surprising.
Aston Villa – statistics & current form
Internationally, Aston Villa caused an upset by advancing directly to the knockout stage of the premier class. On the other hand, Unai Emery’s team is currently lagging behind expectations in the league. Because only one of the last seven league games was won, the AVFC slipped to tenth place in the table and now even has one game more than the competition.
This makes the upcoming league games in the English top flight all the more important. After the bitter defeat against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa have their next game on Friday evening. The AVFC will face the second division side from Cardiff at home and will be aiming to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
It is possible that Unai Emery will rest some key players. Rotation cannot be ruled out due to the short recovery time. Based on the statistics in the home games in the current competitive season, Aston Villa should not have too much trouble in the FA Cup and should book their place in the quarter-finals.
Will the Villans extend their home record this season?
Aston Villa have not lost a single competitive game at home since October 2024. The Villans have not lost in their last 14 home games in all competitions, with a record of 8-6-0. A defeat against the away-weak Bluebirds from Cardiff would therefore be more than surprising. However, if you want to take a chance on it, you can also use the NEO.Bet free bet to minimize your own risk.
Since reaching the final in the 2014/15 season, advancing to the last 16 was the best result in the FA Cup this season. In the two previous rounds, Unai Emery’s team have already defeated league rivals West Ham United (2-1) and Tottenham Hotspur (2-1). Bets on at least three goals are also obvious in the last 16.
Unai Emery will have at least five players out of the squad through injury in Friday’s game against the second division side from Wales. Compared to the team that last played in the league against the south Londoners, some changes can be expected on the Villans side.
Predicted starting lineup for Aston Villa:
Olsen – Garcia, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen – McGinn, Tielemans – Rogers, Asensio, Rashford – Malen
Cardiff – statistics & current form
Cardiff City, unlike their opponents from Birmingham, have won the league game during the week. The Bluebirds beat Hull City 1-0 in the Championship 2024/25, thereby remaining unbeaten for the third time in a row. However, avoiding relegation remains Cardiff City’s primary goal. The Welsh side currently only have 36 points to their name.
The gap to the relegation zone is therefore negligible, with the weak points yield being mainly due to the record on foreign soil. In the second division, they have only won one of a total of 17 away games. With twelve points during this period, Cardiff City are among the weakest away teams in the league.
Their defense in particular has been disappointing, conceding 35 goals – an average of more than two goals per away game. Among other things, there was also an away debacle against Leeds United a few weeks ago. The Bluebirds conceded a total of seven goals against the Championship leaders.
Is Cardiff City without a chance in the Friday clash against Villa?
If you still want to place a bet on the Bluebirds against Cardiff at Aston Villa, you will get odds beyond the 10.00 mark. However, Cardiff has not won a single away game at Aston Villa since 1954. In addition, they have not reached the FA Cup quarterfinals since 2008.
It would therefore be all the more surprising if the two negative series were to end in the current form and with the recent record on foreign soil. Head coach Ömer Riza, who took over the reins almost two months ago, at least has no major personnel concerns and can largely draw on unlimited resources.
Compared to the team that last played against Hull City during the week, no major changes are expected at the Bluebirds. Callum Robinson is one of the few bright spots in the Welsh side’s offense with his twelve goals in the current league season and leads the internal scoring chart.
Predicted Cardiff City starting lineup:
Horvath – Ng, Goutas, Fish – Rinomhota, Mannsverk, Ramsey, O’Dowda – El Ghazi, Robinson – Salech
Aston Villa – Cardiff Head to head / H2H record
In the last 55 meetings between the two clubs, Aston Villa lead the direct comparison with a record of 27-6-22. Of those 22 defeats, the AVFC have only conceded five at home. The Villans have won 18, drawn 3, and lost 5 of their last 26 home meetings with the Bluebirds. Aston Villa are undefeated by Cardiff City at home since 1954.
The last time the two clubs met in the Championship was during the 2017/18 season. Cardiff City won the home game against Aston Villa 3-0. In the return fixture in Birmingham, the AVFC beat their Welsh opponents 1-0.
Aston Villa vs. Cardiff tip
Aston Villa is looking to cope with frustration after the bitter defeat against Crystal Palace. After eliminating opponents from the Premier League in the two previous cup rounds, Unai Emery’s team now face a comparatively easier hurdle. Aston Villa should not have too much trouble against the Bluebirds from Wales.
Not only the AVFC’s strong home record confirms this assessment, but also their opponents’ weak away form. The Bluebirds from Cardiff have already disappointed on foreign soil in the 2024/25 Championship and have only managed a single away win in the current season.
We therefore also rule out a coup in the FA Cup. The only question in the Friday game is probably how high Aston Villa will win the encounter at home – even if rotation cannot be ruled out for the first division team from Birmingham. Our Aston Villa vs. Cardiff tip is based on odds of 1.65 for “HT/FT: 1/1”. We are betting five out of ten possible units on this.
