Low scoring affair expected in Cardiff Wigan FA Cup clash

If you are looking to back goals this weekend, then the FA Cup fifth round tie between Cardiff City and holders Wigan Athletic may not be the one to concentrate on when looking at both teams’ scoring charts this season.

Only Norwich City (11) have scored less than Cardiff’s 12 home goals in the Premier League this term. Wigan, meanwhile, have managed to net a mere 16 from their 20 away games in their Championship campaign.

Uwe Rosler’s Latics have in fact failed to score in 12 of those matches, and it is 33/20 for them to do so again here.

With top-scorer Nick Powell missing through injury and on-loan Nicky Maynard naturally ineligible against his parent club, it is hard to see where the goals are going to come from for Wigan.

Marc-Antoine Fortune and Jordi Gomez may be their best chances. They are 9/1 and 10/1 respectively to open the scoring.

Fraizer Campbell is the Bluebirds’ leading goalscorer with seven and he is 5/1 favourite to score first, with on-loan Wilfried Zaha at 7/1 and midfielder Craig Noone at 10/1.

A lack of goalmouth action is likely, so it’s no surprise to see a 1-1 draw as favourite in the correct score market at 11/2. Victories by a single strike for either side are priced up at 6/1 for Cardiff and 17/2 for Wigan.

Odds of 8/1 for a 0-0 stalemate are attractive too. The safest bet looks 7/4 on there being under 1.5 goals.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Bluebirds are favourites to advance to the quarter-finals at evens. Wigan are 11/4 to keep their cup run going. It’s 23/10 for a draw.

The Latics are in fact unbeaten in their last ten meetings against Cardiff with the Welsh side’s last victory coming back in 1997.

They haven’t met since 2005 though, during Wigan’s successful Championship promotion season. The Latics, then under Paul Jewell, completed the double over Cardiff on their way to the Premier League.