Cardiff City, Wolves, Fulham and Aston Villa's results predicted as the final Championship table is forecastBy Dominic BoothIn-form Fulham are breathing down the Bluebirds' necks with only six games of the season remainingIt was never going to be completely plain sailing, was it?
Cardiff City, despite an eight-game winning streak and 13-match unbeaten run that only ended in the past week, find themselves still concerned about clinching automatic promotion.
The relentless form of Fulham, plus five dropped points from the Bluebirds' last two matches, mean a top two spot is by no means guaranteed.
Tuesday night's clash at Aston Villa may prove pivotal. But the five games that follow will be equally important as Neil Warnock's side look to wrap up a brilliant season with promotion to the Premier League.
Can they hold off the Fulham charge and seal second place?This is Cardiff's Championship run-in as we see it... Tuesday 10 April - Aston Villa 1-1 Cardiff CityGiven the disappointment of Friday night against Wolves, it's hard to see Cardiff coming away from a tough Villa Park assignment with three points. Before the season, most would have earmarked this encounter as a defeat and Aston Villa, smarting from their 3-1 weekend defeat at Norwich City, will be desperate to return to form themselves.
Steve Bruce hasn't held back in his public dressing down of the Villa players. He wants a reaction against the Bluebirds, just the same as Warnock will demand his troops bounce back from the agonising Wolves defeat.
Another tight, absorbing game will surely ensue, with Cardiff's swift counter-attacking — as it did against Villa earlier in the season — troubling John Terry and company in the hosts' defence. It could go either way, but a draw seems the most likely outcome.
Elsewhere, it's difficult to see either Fulham or Wolves slipping up in winnable home games.
Other results
Fulham 3-0 Reading
Wolves 2-1 Derby (Weds)Saturday 13 April - Norwich City 2-1 Cardiff CityCardiff's record at Carrow Road in recent years is bordering on the atrocious. They have endured successive 3-2 defeats at Norwich in the past two seasons and you have to go back to September 2007 to find the last time the Bluebirds won in Norfolk.
With that in mind, plus the more impressive form of Daniel Farke's side lately, this looks another tricky game.
Perhaps another defeat would get alarm bells ringing, but a visit to East Anglia is no easy prospect.
Fulham, Wolves and Villa are all again at home and look to have favourable fixtures.
Other results
Aston Villa 3-1 Leeds (Fri)
Fulham 2-0 Brentford
Wolves 1-0 BirminghamSaturday 21st April - Cardiff City 2-0 Nottingham ForestSurely this one provides Cardiff with a golden opportunity to return to form? Their run-in is heavily stacked with away games, so Aitor Karanka's Nottingham Forest, a side in transition, will be very beatable when they visit Cardiff City Stadium.
Forest will also be without influential Bluebirds loan man Lee Tomlin and have seen their season peter out into mid-table obscurity.
Cardiff, therefore, must be odds-on favourites to win, while Fulham have the arduous task of facing Millwall at the New Den. A potentially decisive weekend.
Other results
Millwall 1-0 Fulham (Fri)
Bolton 1-2 Wolves
Ipswich 1-1 Aston VillaTuesday 24th April - Derby 2-3 Cardiff CityCardiff's game in hand and what a game it promises to be. Forget the fact that Derby may still be looking to seal a play-off place, this one has subtexts running all the way through it.
The Pride Park postponement furore, the comments exchanged between Warnock and Gary Rowett and now the infamous Sean Morrison video aimed at Derby players — banter or not — means this should have plenty riding on it.
Warnock will get his troops up for the challenge and they tend to overcome these hurdles under the Yorkshireman. Mark this down as a blockbuster Bluebirds win.
No other fixtures in midweek.
Saturday 28th April - Hull 0-0 Cardiff CityThe tricky away ties just keep coming, and don't underestimate how tough a game at the KCom Stadium may prove against a revitalised Hull.
Nigel Adkins has expertly steered the Tigers away from the drop zone and, on their day, they can beat anyone.
Cardiff will head up to Humberside with their resolute defence and it's hard to see them losing, although Fulham will have faced — and likely beaten — Sunderland the night before to cause a few Bluebirds' jitters.
Other results
Fulham 4-0 Sunderland (Fri)
Aston Villa 2-2 Derby
Wolves 2-1 Sheff Wed
Sunday 6 May - Cardiff 2-1 ReadingThe final day of the season.
If our predictions prove correct, the Bluebirds will be on 88 points, with Fulham on 87 going into this one, meaning a win against former Swansea boss Paul Clement and his Reading side will be enough for Warnock to seal an eighth promotion.
It's got three points written all over it — though it could be nervy given what's at stake. Expect the Bluebirds to hold on in a nail-biting season finale.
Fulham have to play relegation-battling Birmingham at St Andrews, which will be no easy task.
Party time? We shall see.
Other results
Birmingham 1-1 Fulham
Millwall 1-0 Aston Villa
Sunderland 0-2 WolvesOur prediction for the final table
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