Last season’s trip to Cardiff City in the Championship ended poorly for Southampton. After taking an early lead, the Saints fell apart in the second half and lost, a moment when many Southampton fans recognized that automatic promotion was no longer achievable.
Just four months after our last visit, we have the opportunity for revenge as we travel back to Wales to face Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup.
In many ways, this is one of the tougher draws we could have faced. A League 2 side at home would be the easiest draw on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 representing a Premier League side away from home. This tie is probably around a 7.
However, we have a decent record in South Wales in cup competitions. Three seasons ago, we traveled to Cardiff’s nearby rivals and won 8-0. Of the 18 players on duty that day, only Jan Bednarek, Jack Stephens, and Kyle Walker-Peters are still at the club, though Walker-Peters may not be available by the time we play Cardiff.
We also faced Swansea City in the FA Cup later that season, winning 3-1 in South Wales. The manager from that match may be familiar to many.
While this might be one of the more challenging ties, it is certainly winnable. Our squad, although perhaps still not fully equipped for the Premier League, is more than capable of securing a win at Cardiff, despite their strong showing last season.