Sheffield United kept up the pressure on Burnley and Leeds as they beat Cardiff 2-0 at Bramall Lane on Good Friday.
Goals from Gustavo Hamer and Ben Brereton Diaz kept the Blades in the hunt for automatic promotion from the Sky Bet Championship, while the Bluebirds remain in deep relegation trouble.
The visitors had their first sight of goal when captain Callum O’Dowda’s cross was met by Yakou Meite but his header was comfortably claimed by Micheal Cooper.
City goalkeeper Ethan Horvath had to be alert to race off his line and gather Hamer’s clipped through ball.
A good spell of Cardiff pressure saw shots by Will Alves, Yousef Salech and Meite all blocked by Blades defenders. At the other end, Calum Chambers made a great recovery tackle to deny Jesurun Rak-Sakyi a shot on goal.
Sheffield United took the lead in the 33rd minute when Tyrese Campbell’s shot was deflected into the path of Hamer and he cleverly poked the ball past Horvath.
The midfielder nearly had his second of the game moments later as his curling free-kick from distance struck an upright.
The Bluebirds had a great chance to get away a shot at goal when they broke with numbers but Alves took too long on the ball and Hamza Choudhury cleared the danger in the last chance of the half.
The hosts had the first chance after the break as Horvath first made a great save from Harrison Burrows’ close-range effort. Chris Willick’s searching cross was not far away from Meite but Cooper was able to comfortably claim.
Cardiff did have a couple of sights at goal as well as Will Fish flashed one over the bar from David Turnbull’s dangerous corner. Then, Meite rose highest to meet Salech’s cross but his header was straight at Cooper.
United always looked dangerous on the break and Chambers once again defended well to deny Blades striker Kieffer Moore.
Sheffield United made the points safe in the 87th minute in a similar fashion to the first goal. Moore’s shot deflected into the path of Brereton Diaz and he was on hand to double the Blades’ advantage.
The victory saw United move to within two points of Leeds before their late fixture, while Cardiff slip to 23rd and are a point from safety.
[(Gil Vicente FC) Strength]: 1. Gil Vicente FC finished 13th in the league last season. They aim to avoid relegation and fight for a Conference League spot in the new season. Facing FC Porto, the team are motivated to take points in this home game.2. Gil Vicente FC won the recent two games in a row across all competitions. They won 2-0 over CD Nacional in the last league game, smoothly starting wi...
[(Dynamo Dresden) Neutral]: 1. Both sides have never met before, so there were no records to refer to.[(Dynamo Dresden) Weakness]: 1. As the newly promoted team in the 2. Bundesliga, Dynamo Dresden suffered a losing streak in the first two rounds, being demoralized a lot. Facing 1.FSV Mainz 05 in the first game of the DFB-Pokal at home, the team find it hard to secure a win, indicating doubtful mo...
[(Jaro) Strength]: 1. Jaro are 8th in the table and still need points to secure a Championship play-offs spot, indicating full motivation in this match.2. Forward Kerfala Cissoko scored the winner in the last game, helping his side win.3. Jaro won 2-1 over FC Haka in the last game, securing a 2-game winning streak and showing outstanding recent form.4. Jaro were unbeaten with 1 win and 1 draw in t...
[(SC Preussen Munster) Strength]: 1. In the new season, SC Preussen Munster's 3 goals in two league games were scored by 3 players, showing multiple scorers on offense.2. SC Preussen Munster won 4 of the last 5 home games in AH, boasting a decent home trend.[(SC Preussen Munster) Neutral]: 1. SC Preussen Munster drew 1-1 with SC Paderborn 07 in the last 2. Bundesliga game, showing average performa...
[(Rot-Weiss Essen) Strength]: 1. Rot-Weiss Essen are playing in the 3. Liga this season. Despite their inferior strength to their rivals, the team will still go all out to secure a qualification spot in this home game.2. Tobias Kraulich scored a goal in the last game, showing his outstanding form.3. Rot-Weiss Essen scored 2 goals and conceded 2 in the last 2 competitive games, boasting decent offe...
[(IFK Varnamo) Strength]: 1. IFK Varnamo are at the bottom of the table this season. If they want to avoid relegation, they have to go all out for points in every game, indicating strong motivation in this match.2. Kai Meriluoto scored a goal and made an assist in the last game, helping the team tie with IF Elfsborg.3. IFK Varnamo won the last 2 games in AH, demonstrating recent performances in li...
[(Le Mans) Strength]: 1. Le Mans drew with En Avant Guingamp in the last league game, failing to start with a win. In this home match, they are motivated to secure their first win of the new season.2. William Harhouz scored an equalizer before the end of the last game, helping the team tie with En Avant Guingamp.3. Le Mans secured a 3-game winning streak in recent warm-up games at home, showing de...
[(Mirassol FC) Strength]: 1. Mirassol FC midfielder Gabriel Santana scored a goal in the last league game, performing actively.2. Mirassol FC scored 10 goals in the last 5 league games, averaging 2 goals per game, showing full offense.3. Mirassol FC conceded 5 goals in the last 5 league games, with an average of only 1 goal per game.4. Mirassol FC boast reliable home strength, remaining unbeaten w...
[(Leeds United) Strength]: 1. After relegation, Leeds United returned to the Premier League this season as the EFL Championship winners. The team significantly strengthened their squad during the summer transfer window, with the goal of staying in the Premier League this season. For their opening home game against Everton, they are determined to secure a winning start to the league, showing strong...
[(Elche) Strength]: 1. As the newly promoted team this season, Elche are motivated to start with a home win in their debut.2. In the summer window, Elche signed midfielder Federico Redondo, Real Madrid loan forward Alvaro Rodriguez, and Valencia CF striker German Valera.3. Elche finished 22 wins, 11 draws, and 9 losses in the Segunda Division last season, smoothly being promoted as the 2nd-placed ...
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