Sheffield United vs Cardiff

At Bramall Lane on Friday, Sheffield United will face off against Cardiff City, with both teams battling for crucial points at opposite ends of the Championship standings. The hosts are now five points off the automatic promotion places following three consecutive losses, while the visitors are just one point from safety.

Sheffield United return to action on Friday, clinging to faint hopes of securing automatic promotion in the Championship this season, as their chances of a top-two finish have faded in recent weeks. After the March international break, they defeated Coventry City 3-1 at home, extending an unbeaten streak to five games, including four wins. This left the Blades atop the second tier with 83 points from 40 matches, despite a two-point deduction, and a two-point lead over promotion rivals Leeds United and Burnley.

Chris Wilder’s team had won 26 of their 40 games at that point, losing only six, but their form has since faltered with no points from their last three matches. They first fell to a 1-0 defeat at Oxford United, with Siriki Dembele scoring the lone goal in the first half. Next, Millwall secured a 1-0 victory at Bramall Lane through Josh Coburn’s strike. Most recently, the Blades lost 2-1 at bottom-placed Plymouth Argyle, despite taking the lead via Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, only for Ryan Hardie to equalize in the 81st minute and Muhamed Tijani to snatch a late winner in the 89th.

Now five points behind Leeds and Burnley with four games left, including a looming trip to Burnley on Monday, Sheffield United are desperate to rediscover their winning form on Friday and close the gap to the automatic promotion spots, provided other results align.

Cardiff City, on the other hand, travel to South Yorkshire in urgent need of points to boost their survival hopes in the Championship. With four matches remaining in their sixth consecutive season in the second tier, the Bluebirds sit 22nd with 42 points, having won just nine and lost 18 of their 42 games.