Wrexham and Cardiff reignite their north-south Wales rivalry for the first time in 21 years with a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on the line.
While the two clubs sit 138 miles apart, there is a derby feel to this rarely-seen clash, pitting the capital club against the birthplace of Welsh football. Wrexham, whose three consecutive promotions have been powered by the ownership of Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, seem to have finally encountered a stumbling block on their rise through the divisions, sitting 16th in the Championship after 12 games, though a continued cup run could inject energy into their campaign.
Cardiff, meanwhile, are hoping to make this fixture more of a regular occurrence by returning to the second tier at the first time of asking – they currently sit top of League One after relegation last term. Can they get one over their hosts and book their place in the last eight?
Follow all of the latest from the Racecourse Ground below:
When is the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw?
The draw will take place on Wednesday October 29 and will be expected to begin following the conclusion of the final fourth-round tie between Newcastle and Tottenham. It is expected to start around 10.15pm GMT although could be delayed if the game ends in a draw after 90 minutes goes to penalties.
How can I watch the Carabao Cup draw?
Viewers in the UK can watch the draw live on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports News, as well as streaming service Sky Go. If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription. It will also be available for free via the Carabao Cup social media channels.
Cardiff boss relishing all-Welsh tie
Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy is relishing the chance for his side to take on Wrexham – although suggested that they had been disappointed by the ticket allocation offered by their hosts.
“By nature, this is a tie where the whole club is really excited,” he said. “From the first round, our intention was to try and win all the games to give us a chance to encounter a tie which we wouldn’t expect.
“We’re going to take not as many fans as we expected, because of the limited number of tickets, but still a huge swell of support to go and compete against a team from the same country. It’s very exciting.
“I have admiration for what Phil [Parkinson] has done. To achieve as many promotions as he has is an incredible achievement.
“They’re obviously doing things their own way. What I’ve seen from them clearly already is they have an experienced team, full of players who’ve been there, done it at that level, if not higher, and they’ve heavily invested in that.
“Our squad is totally different. We have Callum Robinson and Calum Chambers, and players who have played at a higher level, but our squad, we believe, is very capable of competing with teams from a Championship level.
“Now we get the chance to go on Tuesday and show that, and that’s what our intentions will be.”
Team news – Cardiff
Cardiff XI: Trott; Kpakio, Chambers, Fish, Bagan; Wintle, J Colwill, R Colwill; Kellyman, Ashford, Salech.
Team news – Wrexham
Wrexham XI: Burton; Cleworth, Coady, Thomason; Barnett; Dobson, Rathbone, O’Brien; Longman, Smith, Broadhead.
What other Carabao Cup ties are on tonight?
On top of Wrexham’s all-Welsh clash with Cardiff City, we’ve got two other games on tonight.
Brentford make the perilous journey to Grimsby Town, the League Two outfit who of course knocked out Manchester United in the second round.
Fulham are also in action as they travel to Wycombe Wanderers, who have had an underwhelming start to their League One season.
Then tomorrow, the heavyweights are in action across the five remaining ties:
- Swansea vs Manchester City
- Arsenal vs Brighton
- Liverpool vs Crystal Palace
- Wolves vs Chelsea
- Newcastle vs Tottenham
Phil Parkinson humbled to be awarded the Freedom of Wrexham
Parkinson swapped his customary casual look on the touchline for a suit as Wrexham councillors bestowed the honour on the Red Dragons boss, who has guided the club into the Sky Bet Championship after three successive promotions.
Wrexham co-owners Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds were awarded the city’s highest civic honour by the council in April 2023.
Brendan Rodgers talked himself into trouble and Celtic chaos could lead to the unthinkable
On the loudest nights at Celtic Park, the sound of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is as stirring and defiant as its cousins at Anfield and the Westfalenstadion.
But for Brendan Rodgers, the noise and fallout following his shock resignation from the Scottish champions will leave the 52-year-old walking a lonely path as he packs his bags and departs Lennoxtown for the second time.
A stunning, explosive statement from the Celtic majority shareholder, Dermot Desmond, accused Rodgers of acting in a “divisive, misleading, and self-serving” manner that “contributed to a toxic atmosphere” around the club, torching all ties to a manager who had won 11 trophies across his two spells in Glasgow.
Read Jamie Braidwood’s analysis on the Celtic resignation of Brendan Rodgers:
How are Wrexham and Cardiff doing this season?
Cardiff, meanwhile, are hoping to make this matchup more of a regular occurrence by returning to the second tier at the first time of asking, currently sitting top of League One off the back of relegation last term.
Routes to the fourth round
We’re into the fourth round – or last 16 – of the Carabao Cup, meaning Cardiff and Wrexham are just four games away from a potential trip to Wembley.
Championship side Wrexham dispatched Hull City, Preston North End and Reading to make it this far, while League One leaders Cardiff saw off Swindon Town, Cheltenham Town and top-flight side Burnley.
What’s the history behind the rivalry?
Wrexham and Cardiff will reignite their north-south Wales rivalry for the first time in 21 years with a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on the line.
It’s the first time the pair have faced off in this competition in 62 years, with Wrexham eyeing quarter-final progression for the first time since the 1977/78 season.
While the two clubs sit 138 miles apart, there is a derby feel to this rarely-seen clash, pitting the capital city club against the birthplace of Welsh football.
