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Newly promoted Championship side Cardiff City will begin their preparations for life back in the second tier when they welcome FC Midtjylland to Cardiff City Stadium this weekend.
The Bluebirds are entering their second season under Brian Barry-Murphy, who impressed during his first campaign in charge in South Wales by guiding his side to an immediate return to the second tier of English football.
Cardiff were promoted with 91 points to their name after finishing second in League One, while their upcoming opponents also secured a second-placed finish in their respective domestic division.
Midtjylland, led by Mike Tullberg, suffered just one defeat across their opening 15 Danish Superliga fixtures and ultimately fell short of claiming a fifth domestic league title.
The Wolves did, however, impress in Europe and added another trophy to their collection after winning the Danish Cup for the third time in their history, taking their major honours tally to seven.
Cardiff City vs FC Midtjylland key stats
- Cardiff City scored 90 goals in League One last season, more than any other side in the division.
- The Bluebirds lost just four of their 23 home league fixtures during their promotion campaign.
- Midtjylland have scored seven goals across their opening three pre-season friendlies and are yet to lose.
- The Wolves lost just twice away from home in the 2025-26 Danish Superliga regular season and had the joint-best attack in the division.
Cardiff City vs FC Midtjylland preview: Can Midtjylland win finish their pre-season unbeaten?
Cardiff City vs FC Midtjylland — Tale of the Tape
| Cardiff City | vs | FC Midtjylland |
|---|---|---|
| N/A (EFL Championship) | Position | N/A (Danish Superliga) |
| N/A | Points | N/A |
| N/A | Goals For | N/A |
| N/A | Goals Against | N/A |
| N/A | Clean Sheets | N/A |
| N/A | Home / Away Rank | N/A |
Barry-Murphy guided Cardiff City to promotion in his first season in charge, with the Bluebirds recording 27 wins, 10 draws and nine defeats in League One to secure 91 points and finish second in the table.
The Welsh side were particularly impressive going forward, scoring 90 goals across their 46 league matches, which was the highest total in the division, while they also lifted the promotion trophy in front of their supporters during their final home fixture of the campaign.
However, after two months without a competitive fixture, it remains difficult to predict how Cardiff will line up for their first pre-season outing ahead of their return to the Championship.
The Bluebirds have made just one signing so far this summer, with Nathan Trott returning to Cardiff City Stadium after a successful loan spell last season, where the goalkeeper recorded five clean sheets in his first five League One appearances and will likely be the number one choice between the posts once again.
It has also has been reported that three Cardiff senior players are training with the Under-21s ahead of their pre-season prepartions.
Roko Simic, Jesper Daland and Kion Etete are the trio who have been absent from the first team and are likely to play no part in Saturday's clash.
As for Midtjylland, the Danish side arrive in South Wales after narrowly missing out on another domestic title, finishing second in the 2025-26 Danish Superliga, seven points behind champions AGF.
The Wolves enjoyed a strong campaign across multiple competitions, impressing in the UEFA Europa League where victories over Nottingham Forest, Celtic and Dinamo Zagreb helped them secure a third-placed finish in the league phase before they were eliminated by a revenge-minded Forest side in the knockout stages.
While they did manage to lift the Danish Cup again, Tullberg's side will be keen to go one step further and lift the league title for the first time since the 2023-24 campaign, they have recorded successive second placed finishes since that season.
With their new domestic season beginning less than two weeks after this fixture, Tullberg's side will be looking to continue their unbeaten start to pre-season and build momentum ahead of another European campaign.
Midtjylland will have plenty of experience available in their squad, with former Premier League and Championship midfielder Philip Billing expected to feature in midfield, although Lee Han-beom, Cho Gue-sung, Denil Castillo and Martin Erlic will not be available after representing their countries at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Cardiff City vs FC Midtjylland form guide & betting tips
| Cardiff City | vs | FC Midtjylland |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | Goals For | N/A |
| N/A | Goals Against | N/A |
N/A |
Domestic League | N/A |
Whispers predicts: Cardiff City 2-2 FC Midtjylland
While Cardiff City are newly promoted to the Championship and Midtjylland regularly compete near the top of Danish football, there may not be as much between the two sides as expected.
The Bluebirds were the highest scorers in League One last season, while Midtjylland have already found the net seven times across their opening three pre-season matches, making both teams to score likely at the Cardiff City Stadium.
With both sides possessing plenty of attacking quality, backing over 2.5 goals could be a strong option, while both teams to score also looks appealing.
Stanley Iheanacho has impressed during pre-season, scoring three goals in three appearances, and the forward could find the net again.
> Draw (odds to be updated once available) | Likelihood: Likely
> Both teams to score – Yes (odds to be updated once available) | Likelihood: Likely
> Correct score Cardiff 2-2 FC Midtjylland (odds to be updated once available) | Likelihood: Possible