The first EFL Cup semi-finalist will be decided on Tuesday night as Cardiff City host Chelsea in the only quarter-final not featuring two Premier League sides. Chelsea arrive after ending a four-game winless run, while Cardiff chase a fourth straight win and a famous cup night in the Welsh capital. Chelsea’s road to the last eight has been far from smooth. Narrow wins over Lincoln City (2-1) and Wolves (4-3) raised eyebrows, especially after nearly blowing a three-goal lead in the last round. Still, ugly wins count in knockout football, and Enzo Maresca’s side are now chasing a fifth semi-final appearance in the EFL Cup in nine seasons.
History backs the Blues. Chelsea have won their last five EFL Cup quarter-finals and beat Everton 2-0 at the weekend to restore some calm, with Cole Palmer back pulling the strings. Cardiff, though, have nothing to lose. The Bluebirds are enjoying a dream run. They have won six of their last seven matches in all competitions and sit top of League One after a wild 4-3 win over Doncaster. They have already knocked out Burnley and Wrexham, making them the lowest-ranked side left in the competition. Cardiff have reached the League Cup semi-finals twice before and won both quarter-finals they’ve played.Chelsea haven’t lost to Cardiff since 1986 and have won the last five meetings, but cup football has a habit of ignoring history.
Cardiff vs Chelsea: Key Stats
📊 Head to head: Cardiff 0 wins, Chelsea 5 wins, Draws 0
📊 Chelsea: Won last 5 EFL Cup quarter-finals
📊 Cardiff: Won 6 of last 7 matches (all competitions)
📊 Cardiff: Lowest-ranked team left in the competition
📊 Chelsea: Reached 4 EFL Cup semi-finals in last 9 seasons
Predicted Lineups
🐉Cardiff City (4-3-3) Trott; Ng, Fish, Chambers, Bagan; Wintle, Robertson, Turnbull; Ashford, Salech, J. Colwill
🦁Chelsea (4-2-3-1) Jorgensen; Acheampong, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Hato; Caicedo, Santos; Estevao, Buonanotte, Gittens; George
Players and Matchups to Watch
🔹 Moises Caicedo – Returns to anchor Chelsea’s midfield
🔹 Joel Colwill – Cardiff’s creative hope
🔹 Jamie Bynoe-Gittens – Direct threat off the wing
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