With Championship survival hanging in the balance, Cardiff City manager Omer Riza insists his side are ready to fight until the very end as they travel to Deepdale to take on Preston North End on Tuesday.
Cardiff currently sit in 22nd place, inside the relegation zone on goal difference, level on 41 points with 21st-placed Derby County.
Despite their precarious position, Riza believes recent signs of progress suggest the Bluebirds are up for the challenge.
"We've picked up five points from 10, we're unbeaten in three and we'll look to take that into Preston," said Riza.
"It's a quick turnaround. We'll see how we turn the boys around, what they look like and we'll prepare accordingly."
Cardiff’s goalless draw against Queens Park Rangers at the weekend was their first clean sheet in seven games and extended their unbeaten run to three matches.
It may not have been a performance packed with attacking flair—they failed to register a single shot on target in the first half—but it marked a small step forward for a side desperate for consistency.
🗣️”That weak defensive line gets exposed”@AliMaxwell_ from @NTT20Pod describes Cardiff City’s season-long struggles as the Bluebirds scrape for Championship survival🔵#CityAsOne #EFL #Championship pic.twitter.com/2dJpZJMavR
— DragonSports (@DragonSportsWal) April 1, 2025
While Riza’s men have struggled on the road—winning just once in their past six away fixtures—they travel to face a Preston side who have also stumbled in recent weeks.
Paul Heckingbottom’s men are without a win in their last three and have only found the net once during that spell.
However, Riza is not underestimating the challenge.
"No, not at all," he said when asked if Preston’s mid-table position meant they had little to play for.
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"They've got a manager in Heckingbottom who expects his teams to play a certain way no matter what.
It will be a tough game there and we'll be prepared for that game."
Preston currently occupy 14th spot with 48 points and while their overall form has dipped—two wins in their last 11 games—their home record remains strong.
The Lilywhites have only been beaten once in their past 17 outings at Deepdale, although nine of those ended in draws.
When the two sides last met in December, Preston claimed a 2-0 victory—mirroring the scoreline in three of their last four meetings with Cardiff.
As Riza prepares his squad for another pivotal clash, he may be boosted by the return of Calum Chambers, who was absent against QPR due to personal reasons.
"Chambo had a family issue so he got taken out of the squad late [before the game]," Riza explained.
"But everything's fine and hopefully Chambo will be back available for Tuesday."
With just six games remaining and a tight cluster of teams battling the drop, every point is now vital for Cardiff.
