Cardiff City — Newport County : Match Preview and Prediction for October 07,2025

Cardiff’s Narrow Escape and Defensive Woes

“Cardiff” snatched a victory in the last round against “Leyton Orient” with a score of 4:3. But don’t let the numbers on the scoreboard deceive you. Head coach Brian Barry-Murphy called this game “chaotic” and “stressful,” and he had every reason to do so. Statistics reveal defensive problems. “Leyton Orient” made 26 shots on “Cardiff’s” goal, 11 of which were on target. The opponent’s expected goals (xG) metric was 3.34 against Cardiff’s 1.92. This suggests that the hosts were frankly lucky. The defense made serious errors, one of which led to a goal. And now imagine this problematic line facing even greater difficulties.

Impact of the International Break

That is exactly what will happen. The club finds itself in a unique situation due to the international window. Several key players who played in the first match against “Exeter” have been called up to their national teams. These include Dylan Lolor, Ronan Kpakio, Isaac Davies, as well as the Colwill brothers.

Manager’s Dilemma and Squad Rotation

The coaching staff openly expresses dissatisfaction with the schedule. Barry-Murphy explicitly stated that he would have to “assess who is available and select the squad.” Omari Kellyman, who needs to regain form, will start, and the 16-year-old midfielder Rob Tankevich might make his debut. This will be an experimental, raw lineup.

Newport’s Current Form and Resilience

“Newport” is in a difficult position, that’s a fact. The team is at the bottom of the League Two table. However, we are interested not in their league position, but in *how* they lose.

Analyzing Recent Losses

In the last round, “Newport” lost to “Swindon” with a score of 0:1. Head coach David Hughes noted after the match that there wasn’t a big difference between the teams, and in the second half, his players even looked excellent. Throughout the entire match, “Swindon” only managed 3 shots on target against “Newport’s” goal.

Performance So Far

In the first round of this tournament, the , “Newport” played against London “Arsenal’s” youth team. The result was a 1:2 defeat. Again, this wasn’t a thrashing, but a perfectly respectable one-goal loss against a technically skilled and fast opponent.

Newport’s Away Form: A Tough Nut to Crack

The numbers confirm that “Newport” is a tough nut to crack away from home. In 11 of their 16 previous away matches, the team did not lose by more than one goal. This team knows how to dig in and avoid being routed, even when not in their best form.