England - Carabao Cup
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by Daniel Ngulu | in Carabao Cup Predictions
It is now a decade since Chelsea last won the League Cup, and their journey towards ending that run sets them up against Cardiff City. The two sides will be facing off in the first quarter-final of the competition in what on paper looks like a David v Goliath battle. Read on for our prediction of the match below.
Cardiff City are the lowest-ranking side still in the competition, and here they will be eyeing a shocker. It has been six years since the Welsh side last faced Chelsea, but they last won this fixture in 1961. The Bluebirds have suffered straight defeats in the latest meetings with Chelsea.
Facing a League One side, Chelsea will be expected to sail through easily. They haven't had a great run in recent times but are coming from a win and will be keen on extending the same here. The Blues will be aware that Cardiff has already eliminated a Premier League side—Burnley.
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The Best Betting Odds for Cardiff v Chelsea Match
| Bookmaker | 1 | X | 2 | Bonus up to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
9.5 | 7 | 1.19 |
|
|
13 | 6.5 | 1.2 |
|
|
12 | 5.8 | 1.22 |
|
|
12 | 6 | 1.22 |
|
|
13 | 6.4 | 1.2 |
|
What is the prediction for the football match between Cardiff and Chelsea?
Our prediction for the Cardiff vs Chelsea match is: Chelsea to win and BTTS.
Probabilities according to our algorithm* of possible 1X2 football predictions and best odds for the match on 16/12/2025 between Cardiff and Chelsea in Carabao Cup :
- The Sportytrader ⭐ algorithm estimates a probability of 39.61% for a win of Cardiff against Chelsea with odds of 14.5 at Shangrila.
- The probability according to Sportytrader ⭐ for a draw between Cardiff vs Chelsea is 14.48% with odds of 7 at Bet365.
- Our prediction model gives a 45.91% chance ⭐ for a win of Chelsea vs Cardiff with odds of 1.23 at Bwin.
Cardiff vs Chelsea Form
Cardiff and Chelsea Last Matches
5/6 (83%)
0/6 (0%)
1/6 (17%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
13 Dec 2025 - League One
9 Dec 2025 - League One
6 Dec 2025 - League One
2 Dec 2025 - EFL Trophy
29 Nov 2025 - League One
22 Nov 2025 - League One
5/6 (83%)
0/6 (0%)
1/6 (17%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
13 Dec 2025 - League One
6 Dec 2025 - League One
2 Dec 2025 - EFL Trophy
29 Nov 2025 - League One
11 Nov 2025 - EFL Trophy
18 Oct 2025 - League One
3/6 (50%)
0/6 (0%)
3/6 (50%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
9 Dec 2025 - League One
22 Nov 2025 - League One
8 Nov 2025 - League One
1 Nov 2025 - FA Cup
28 Oct 2025 - Carabao Cup
25 Oct 2025 - League One
2/6 (33%)
2/6 (33%)
2/6 (33%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
13 Dec 2025 - Premier League
9 Dec 2025 - Champions League
6 Dec 2025 - Premier League
3 Dec 2025 - Premier League
30 Nov 2025 - Premier League
25 Nov 2025 - Champions League
4/6 (67%)
1/6 (17%)
1/6 (17%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
13 Dec 2025 - Premier League
30 Nov 2025 - Premier League
25 Nov 2025 - Champions League
8 Nov 2025 - Premier League
25 Oct 2025 - Premier League
22 Oct 2025 - Champions League
2/6 (33%)
2/6 (33%)
2/6 (33%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
9 Dec 2025 - Champions League
6 Dec 2025 - Premier League
3 Dec 2025 - Premier League
22 Nov 2025 - Premier League
5 Nov 2025 - Champions League
1 Nov 2025 - Premier League
Cardiff vs Chelsea Stats: Head to Head (H2H)
0 %
0 %
100 %
Average stats (last H2H results)
31 Mar 2019 - Premier League
15 Sept 2018 - Premier League
Cardiff - Chelsea: Form Analysis
Cardiff have had a sensational run to the last eight in this competition and will be gunning for an upset here. The Bluebirds have already taken on higher-ranking opponents in the League Cup, among them a Premier League side.
After beating Championship side Wrexham 2-1, they overcame Burnley by the same scoreline in the last round. Ahead of this game, Cardiff posted three straight wins, all in League One.
The latest of them was a 4-3 victory at home to Doncaster, marking a fifth time in seven matches that they scored three or more goals. Cardiff might be the lowest ranked, but with six wins in the last seven matches, they won’t be pushovers here.
Chelsea are eyeing League Cup semis for the fifth time in nine seasons.
Chelsea are coming from a 2-0 win against Everton in the Premier League. They just returned to winning ways after a four-match winless streak.
While they got a much-needed victory, calming nerves at Stamford Bridge, manager Enzo Maresca’s post-match comments dominated discussions around the game.
The manager claimed the 48 hours before the game were his hardest at the club without divulging more. Back on the road after a home win, Chelsea will have their jitters.
They are winless in the last three away matches. Chelsea have five successive League Cup quarter-final wins, and that will be a needed boost amidst their away-day woes.
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Cardiff & Chelsea Squad Analysis
Cardiff City were hoping to have loanee Omari Kellyman feature against his parent club, but Chelsea refused.
The Bluebirds will therefore be forced to seek other options, and it is a double blow, with Rubin Colwill sidelined with an ankle injury.
The other Colwill, Joel, will thus be expected to fill in and provide the creative spark in midfield. Jak Alnwick, Gabriel Osho, and Oliver Tanner are the other Cardiff players unavailable for this encounter, all nursing injuries.
Cole Palmer returned to the score sheet after injury in Chelsea’s win against Everton.
Such matches are largely preserved for either the fringe players or managers rotating the squads. Chelsea will for sure be resting key men, especially as they are the favorites here.
The Blues will definitely be without Marc Cucurella, who is suspended. It leaves Jorrel Hato as an automatic replacement. Moises Caicedo has completed a three-match ban and should go straight into the lineup.
Marc Guiu is cup-tied and thus ineligible for this competition.
Most goals and assists
Cardiff
Chelsea
Y. Salech
(11 Goals)
Estevao
(5 Goals)
,
Joao Pedro
(5 Goals)
, 
E. Fernandez
(5 Goals)
, 
P. Neto
(5 Goals)
J. Bagan
(1 Assists)
, 
C. Chambers
(1 Assists)
R. James
(10 Assists)
Cardiff - Chelsea Key Points
- Cardiff City has two clean sheets in 10 outings.
- Chelsea conceded in six of their last 10 away games.
- Cardiff failed to score twice in their last 10 home matches.
- In seven of Cardiff’s last 10 home matches, both teams scored.
- Chelsea won each of the last five meetings with Cardiff, all without a clean sheet.
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Our Cardiff vs Chelsea Prediction
The odds suggest this could be a one-sided encounter, but we feel otherwise. Cardiff City will come here looking to cause an upset, and having beaten Burnley before, they’ll be confident of going one better. The League One side is coming off six wins in the last seven matches and will be fired up for this match.
Chelsea, on their part, are determined to avoid an embarrassing loss here. They will be banking on their superiority in quality as well as head-to-head dominance. We expect them to progress but not unscathed. Our prediction for Cardiff City v Chelsea is for Chelsea to win and BTTS.
Cardiff vs Chelsea - Other Interesting Predictions
Over 2.5 goals
Cardiff are eyeing a first League Cup semi-final in 13 years, but there is a hurdle to overcome. They have fallen to Chelsea in each of their latest five meetings, even though the most recent was in 2019.
In all those defeats, Cardiff didn’t fail to score, which means all the matches ended up with at least three goals. We expect more of that here, and our second prediction is for over 2.5 goals.
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Cardiff vs Chelsea match : Frequently asked questions
The Cardiff City v Chelsea match will be played on Tuesday, 16th December.
The Cardiff City v Chelsea match will be played at the Cardiff City Stadium.
All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
