FA Cup fifth round: Build-up as Championship Cardiff visit Aston Villa
Aston Villa take on Cardiff City in the fifth round of the FA Cup
Kick off is at 20:00 GMT
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Emlyn Begley
Aston Villa v Cardiff (20:00 GMT)
Cardiff City
Cardiff captain Aaron Ramsey talking to ITV Sport: “We know this will be a tough test but hopefully it will be a memorable night.
“The FA Cup means a lot to me, some of the best memories have come from this competition. So why not? Hopefully we can have one of those special evenings.”
Aston Villa v Cardiff City (20:00 GMT)
Cardiff are bidding to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2008.
They have beaten fellow Championship sides Sheffield United and Stoke to reach this round.
Aston Villa v Cardiff City (20:00 GMT)
Cardiff City manager Omer Riza says their Championship relegation battle means they cannot put out a full-strength team today.
The Bluebirds are six points above the bottom three – and have four league games in the next 15 days.
“It’s the FA Cup, the fifth round and I’d like to put my strongest team out so you can have a real go at it,” said Riza.
“We have just got too many far more important games coming up, which is about surviving and staying in the Championship.
“If we were 12th in the league now and not where we are I’d have no issues putting out our full strength.
“But we have a lot of things we need to deal with in the league, we’re not in that position.
“We’ll do our best and that’s all we can do.”
Aston Villa v Cardiff City (20:00 GMT)
Aston Villa and Cardiff City have met three times in the FA Cup, with Cardiff winning two and Villa winning one.
Probably shouldn’t read too much into those games as the most recent one was in 1948-49…
Aston Villa v Cardiff City (20:00 GMT)
Don Hutchison
Ex-Scotland midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live
When we think of Aston Villa, I think they got harmed by PSR.
When you look at them now they have a horrendous injury crisis, mostly at the back. They’re missing Pau Torres, he’s been a huge loss for them.
They’re only four points off fifth and the co-efficient is strong this season. It’s more than likely that fifth will get Champions League football so they’re only four points off.
At the same time I commentated on their game against Crystal Palace and they got absolutely pumped in the second half. They ran out of gas, they had no ideas.
There’s no surprise that the likes of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford start tonight.
Aston Villa v Cardiff City (20:00 GMT)
Cardiff City forward Isaak Davies says “there are memories to be made” tonight for the players and fans.
The 23-year-old has only just retured from a serious hamstring injury that kept him out since the summer.
“It’s going to be a big test,” said Davies.
“There’ll be loads of eyes on the game, so it’s a good opportunity for everyone to put their name out there and make a statement.
“We’re going there trying to win, like any other game, but we’ll need to be at our best.
“We’ve got a really good squad, a lot of experience, and whoever plays in the game will give it their best.
“Playing the big teams, there are memories to be made. We have to take it in our stride and enjoy it.”
Aston Villa v Cardiff City (20:00 GMT)
In all competitions, Aston Villa are unbeaten in their past 15 home games against Cardiff City, winning the past seven in a row.
Cardiff have not won at Villa Park since December 1954.
Aston Villa v Cardiff City (20:00 GMT)
Glenn Murray
Former Brighton striker on BBC Radio 5 Live
When I look at their games after European games, they’ve only won one, which was the first one against Wolves.
Four have been at home and four have been away. The four away games after a European night, they’ve lost them all, so it’s impacted them massively.
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Pleased to see the strong selection in the Cup tonight from Villa, but I do wonder about the knock on impact Vs Bruges on Tuesday. That’ll be their fifth game in two and a half weeks by the way…
Matt, Birmingham
Aston Villa v Cardiff City (20:00 GMT)
Aston Villa
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery on the importance of the FA Cup and whether it possesses their best chance of obtaining European football next season: “It’s a way for a trophy and it’s a way for Europe. The winner will play in the Europa League next year. We have three ways – Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup. We are not contenders for this trophy.”
Asked why, he said: “There are other teams with more options than us.
“To try to compete in this competition and to have a way for a trophy is very important. And then there is prestige. Every player, the club and the coaches would like one way of trying to get prestige as well.”
The Villa boss also insisted that, despite facing a Championship side, they have “respect for the competition” and “respect every team that is competing in this round”.
Aston Villa v Cardiff City (20:00 GMT)
BBC Sport Wales have written a piece on former Villa and Wales defender James Chester if you would like to read it.
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Looking forward to welcoming El Ghazi back to Villa Park tonight. Him and McGinn the scorers in the play-off final. A Villa hero forever.
Tom
Aston Villa v Cardiff City (20:00 GMT)
Rachel Corsie
Scotland and Aston Villa captain on BBC Radio 5 Live
I think Cardiff will lean on the fact it’s the cup and we know the magic happens there.
They’ve not had the best form in the league away from home but this is the third away tie they’ve had in this competition and they’ve won the last two.
They’ll hope this is a reprieve from the league form. Can they find a bit of magic?
Looking at the likes of Anwar El Ghazi, who’ll probably have a bit of an extra edge, he’ll enjoy being back here.
Callum Robinson, who’s a Villa fan, will try to put in a performance. He’ll try and have a good night and will enjoy it more if Cardiff get a result.
FA Cup matches that take place during Ramadan will briefly pause to allow Muslim players to break their fast.
Muslims do not consume any food or drink during daylight hours in the Islamic holy month.
The two ties it will affect will be Manchester City v Plymouth tomorrow and Manchester United v Fulham on Sunday because of their kick-off times.
Read more here.
Friday, 28 February
Aston Villa v Cardiff City (20:00 GMT) – ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
Saturday, 1 March
Crystal Palace v Millwall (12:15) – BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app.
Preston North End v Burnley (12:15) – BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app.
Bournemouth v Wolves (15:00) – will be broadcast internationally.
Man City v Plymouth Argyle (17:45) – ITV4 and ITVX.
Sunday, 2 March
Newcastle v Brighton (13:45) – ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
Man Utd v Fulham (16:30) – BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app.
Monday, 3 March
Nottingham Forest v Ipswich (19:30) – ITV4 and ITVX.
Aston Villa v Cardiff City (20:00 GMT)
Comedian Josh Widdicombe took on Chris Sutton in the predictions this week.
“Villa are still in the Champions League but they still seem to me to be a team for the FA Cup this year, because they are not going to win anything else, realistically,” the Plymouth fan said.
“So, there is quite a lot in this for them while, in contrast, if any of the Championship teams are going to be focused on the league it is Cardiff.”
Widdicombe’s prediction: 3-0
Aston Villa v Cardiff City (20:00 GMT)
Chris Sutton
BBC Sport football expert
The rest of the season is going to be a bit of a juggling act for Aston Villa.
They are still in the Champions League and also trying to finish high enough in the Premier League to qualify for it again next season.
So, it will be interesting to see if they target the FA Cup too. I’m sure Unai Emery would ideally like to keep his finger in every pie, but we’ve seen how that has stretched his squad already.
Still, this is where you want to be as a Villa fan, with your team fighting on all fronts near the end of the season – and they will be favourites for this tie even if Emery rests players.
Let’s face it, Cardiff are pretty hopeless, especially on the road where they have only won one Championship game all season.
Cardiff have won away twice in the FA Cup, against Sheffield United and Stoke City, but it was basically the Blades reserves who they beat in round three.
They may rest players too – it depends whether they prioritise this tie or their relegation fight and Tuesday’s league game at home to Burnley – but, even if they don’t make changes, Villa will probably be too strong for them, especially at home.
Sutton’s prediction: 3-1
Aston Villa v Cardiff City (20:00 GMT)
Rachel Corsie
Scotland and Aston Villa captain on BBC Radio 5 Live
Unai Emery after the Crystal Palace game was frustrated. It was a performance and a result that felt like a painful one
In terms of the table all those teams from 10th to third, it is extremely tight, so they’re in the mix.
It feels nice that there’s a cup game tonight. That’s the sort of energy, a win here, into the quarter-finals, that’s going to boost morale, not that I think they’re short of morale.
There’s a good feel about a cup run and it feels like this is the sort of game, with a strong team, that they’re favourites.
#bbcfootball, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)
As a Swansea fan with a Villa supporting husband pleased to see a strong Villa line up this evening. Hoping they can send Cardiff packing.
Nicola
Aston Villa v Cardiff City (20:00 GMT)
Cardiff City have reached the FA Cup fifth round for the first time since 2013-14.
They have been eliminated at this stage in nine of 11 previous ties but the two times that they went beyond this stage, they then reached the final (1927 and 2008).
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Match Summary
Summary
Live Reporting
‘Hopefully it will be a memorable night’
published at 19:49 Greenwich Mean Time
19:49 GMT
Post
published at 19:47 Greenwich Mean Time
19:47 GMT
Championship relegation battle the focus for Cardiff boss
published at 19:46 Greenwich Mean Time
19:46 GMT
Post
published at 19:45 Greenwich Mean Time
19:45 GMT
‘Villa have an injury crisis’
published at 19:43 Greenwich Mean Time
19:43 GMT
‘A good opportunity for everyone to put their name out there’
published at 19:41 Greenwich Mean Time
19:41 GMT
Cardiff with no wins at Villa Park since 1954
published at 19:39 Greenwich Mean Time
19:39 GMT
‘European football has impacted Villa massively’
published at 19:37 Greenwich Mean Time
19:37 GMT
Get Involved
published at 19:36 Greenwich Mean Time
19:36 GMT
‘Villa are not contenders for FA Cup’
published at 19:35 Greenwich Mean Time
19:35 GMT
‘The player who sacrificed his career for Villa’
published at 19:34 Greenwich Mean Time
19:34 GMT
Get Involved
published at 19:33 Greenwich Mean Time
19:33 GMT
‘Can Cardiff find a bit of magic?’
published at 19:31 Greenwich Mean Time
19:31 GMT
Two FA Cup ties to pause for fasting Muslim players
published at 19:29 Greenwich Mean Time
19:29 GMT
Fifth-round schedule & how to watch on TV
published at 19:27 Greenwich Mean Time
19:27 GMT
‘Villa are not going to win anything else realistically’
published at 19:25 Greenwich Mean Time
19:25 GMT
‘Villa too strong for Cardiff’
published at 19:23 Greenwich Mean Time
19:23 GMT
‘Cup run can boost Villa morale’
published at 19:21 Greenwich Mean Time
19:21 GMT
Get Involved
published at 19:19 Greenwich Mean Time
19:19 GMT
Post
published at 19:18 Greenwich Mean Time
19:18 GMT
Watch FA Cup Soccer: Livestream Aston Villa vs. Cardiff From Anywhere
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Unai Emery’s inconsistent Villans look to book a place in the last eight as they host the Bluebirds.
The quarterfinals await the winner of this intriguing Premier League versus Championship matchup on Friday, as Aston Villa host Cardiff in the English FA Cup.
Villa have had a tricky route to the fifth round, having had to see off EPL rivals West Ham and Tottenham to reach this stage. Unai Emery’s men have been wildly inconsistent all season, as typified by their 4-1 capitulation at the hands of Crystal Palace in the EPL on Tuesday.
They face a Cardiff team in the midst of a battle to avoid relegation from the Championship, with Tuesday’s vital 1-0 victory over Hull City pushing them 6 points clear of the drop zone in 19th.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live, wherever you are in the world.
Morgan Rogers scored a consolation goal for Aston Villa in their 4-1 defeat away to Crystal Palace on Tuesday.
Aston Villa take on Cardiff in this FA Cup fifth-round match at Villa Park on Friday, Feb. 28. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. GMT local time in the UK, which is 3 p.m. ET or 8 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 7 a.m. AEDT in Australia early on Saturday morning.
If you find yourself unable to view EPL matches locally, you may need a different way to watch the games — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 a month, but if you sign up for an annual subscription for $100 you’ll get three months free and save 49%. That’s the equivalent of $6.67 a month.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
This match is streaming exclusively live in the US on ESPN Plus. Kickoff is at 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
ESPN’s standalone streaming service costs $12 a month or $120 for an annual subscription. With it, you’ll be able to watch all of this season’s FA Cup fixtures. Read our ESPN Plus review.
The great news for footy fans in the UK is that free-to-air broadcasters the BBC and ITV are sharing live duties for this season’s FA Cup, with this game being shown on ITV4. That means the game will be available to stream on ITVX.
Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. GMT ahead of the 8 p.m. kickoff.
ITV’s streaming online streaming service is free to viewers in the UK, with dedicated apps available for Apple and Android devices, as well as most smart TVs.
Canadian soccer fans looking to watch this FA Cup fixture can watch all the action live via Sportsnet.
Sportsnet is available via most cable operators, but cord-cutters can subscribe to the network’s standalone streaming service Sportsnet Plus instead, with prices starting at CA$25 per month or CA$200 per year.
Football fans down under can watch FA Cup matches live on streaming service Optus Sport.
With exclusive rights to stream select FA Cup and all Premier League matches live this season, as well as German Bundesliga and Spanish La Liga games, streaming service Optus Sport is a particularly big draw for Aussie soccer fans.
If you’re already an Optus network customer, you can bag Optus Sport for a reduced price, with discounts bringing the price down to as low as AU$7 a month. If you’re not, a standalone monthly subscription to the service starts at AU$25.
