One of the more interesting matchups for the quarterfinal round of the 2025/26 Carabao Cup this season was an incredibly riveting “David vs. Goliath” theme between Cardiff City and Chelsea after Cardiff City hosted Chelsea in Cardiff City Stadium on December 16, 2025. Chelsea were the substantial favourites heading into the game, whereas Cardiff City were on a hot streak competing in League One.
This match featured two teams at very different points in their football history: Chelsea continues to progress in cup competition, playing an excellent balance of youth and experience, while Cardiff City successfully compete at a high level in a very crowded and competitive league.
Chelsea’s journey to the quarter finals has had its ups and downs as they have had a series of close matches, which required them to push hard to defeat Lincoln City and Wolves, to test not only how deep their roster was, but also to test their resilience. Here is a complete recap of the match with the final score, team news updates, line-up confirmed players, etc.
Cardiff City Vs Chelsea Prediction
In the quarterfinals of the Carabao Cup, Chelsea won by a score of three to one over Cardiff City and secured a spot in the semifinals. Although Cardiff performed well in the initiative as the lowest-ranked side left in the tournament, Chelsea’s superior skills were apparent in the second half.
Final Score
- Cardiff City 1-3 Chelsea
- Advance to the Semi-Finals of the Carabao Cup
Goalscorers
- Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea) 57th 90+3
- Pedro Neto (Chelsea) 82nd
- David Turnbull (Cardiff) 75th (consolation goal)
Team News and Lineups
Cardiff City
Despite a 4-3-3 Formation employed by Cardiff City, the injuries/loan eligibility issues meant that some of their biggest players were absent, including Rubin Colwill, who couldn’t play against his parent club, plus Ollie Tanner (winger) and Gabriel Osho (defender). As such, Cardiff’s Head Coach, Brian Barry-Murphy, chose a strong but compact squad to combat Chelsea’s complete dominance.
Probable Cardiff XI
- GK: Nathan Trott
- DEF: Perry Ng, William Fish, Calum Chambers, Joel Bagan
- MID: Ryan Wintle, Alex Robertson, David Turnbull
- ATT: Cian Ashford, Yousef Saleh, Joel Colwill
Chelsea
Chelsea acted very much like a new squad by making many changes in the squad. Coach Enzo Maresca wanted both a mix of freshness (by playing some players) and quality (as demonstrated by Cole Palmer’s continued rest) at the same time.
Also, due to suspension, the first-choice defender, Marc Cucurella, could not play. Additionally, having Moises Caicedo back from suspension only strengthens Chelsea’s control of midfield.
Confirmed Chelsea XI
- GK: Filip Jörgensen
- DEF: Josh Acheampong, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoît Badiashile, Jorrel Hato
- MID: Moisés Caicedo, Andrey Santos
- ATT: Estevao, Facundo Buonanotte, Jamie Gittens
- ST: Tyrique George
Predictions Vs Actual Results
Many pundits expected Chelsea to win due to both their better league position and the form they had been showing before this match. It was widely predicted that Chelsea would win by a close score of 2-1. With Chelsea winning by a 3-1 score, these expectations would seem to have been met, showing that, in the end, the superior quality of the Chelsea players won out.
FAQ’s On Cardiff City Vs Chelsea Prediction
When did Cardiff City vs Chelsea take place?
The match between Cardiff City and Chelsea was played on the 16th December 2025 at Cardiff City Stadium in Wales in the EFL Cup.
What was the outcome?
Chelsea defeated Cardiff City 3 – 1 to secure a place in the Carabao Cup semi-final.
Who scored the goals?
For Chelsea, Alejandro Garnacho scored 2 goals, and Pedro Neto scored 1 goal, while Cardiff City had 1 goal from David Turnbull.
Did Cardiff City pull off an upset?
They put up a good fight and even came back to tie the game, but in the end, Chelsea’s quality proved to be too much for Cardiff City.
