Championship: South Wales derby ends in a draw

Swansea City 1 - 1 Cardiff City

Callum Robinson came off the bench to rescue a point for Cardiff City with a late equaliser against arch-rivals Swansea City, securing their first point of the season in the South Wales derby.

Liam Cullen had ignited the already charged atmosphere by putting the Swans ahead after just 10 minutes, capitalising on a rebound after Ronald’s volley was parried by Ethan Horvath.

Cardiff seemed destined for a sixth derby defeat in seven matches after a lacklustre first-half performance, but manager Erol Bulut's substitutions sparked a significant improvement, leading to Robinson’s well-crafted equaliser.

The 79th-minute goal shifted the mood inside the Swansea.com Stadium. Although the Bluebirds couldn’t find a winner, this draw will have felt like a small victory after their tough start to the season, having lost their first two games with a combined score of 7-0.

This was the first draw between the two teams since 2020 and a relatively subdued affair by derby standards—until tempers flared in added time.

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Cardiff manager Bulut was sent off for refusing to return the ball and clashing with Swansea's players, leading to four yellow cards being issued by Oliver Langford. It was a chaotic end to a match that had seemed within Swansea’s grasp before Cardiff’s resurgence.

The Swans triumphed in the derby at this stadium just five months ago, with a commanding 2-0 win that reaffirmed their dominance in this fixture after a disappointing defeat by the same scoreline in last season’s reverse encounter.

That Cardiff victory—their first in the derby since 2021—had been viewed as a turning point in the rivalry, but the Bluebirds reverted to form with a lacklustre performance at the Swansea.com Stadium in March.

This time, there was little form to go on, as the two teams hadn’t met this early in the season since 1957. From what was available, Swansea seemed the stronger side, having beaten Preston 3-0 at home eight days earlier, while Cardiff were still reeling from a 5-0 thrashing by Burnley that left them bottom of the Championship, both pointless and goalless.

Click the X post below to see some highlights from the match. The original footage is from the EFL YouTube account.

FIESTY SOUTH WALES DERBY! | Swansea City v Cardiff City extended highlights https://t.co/HG5xc3YlEQ via @YouTube

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A closer look at what happened

Swans head coach Luke Williams had struck a note of caution after a summer that saw 13 senior players leave and only six brought in. This worked in Cardiff's favour, as Swansea, despite a depleted squad, dominated the first half. The Swans, known for their possession-based play, had added a more direct approach this season, quickly moving the ball to their dynamic wingers, Ronald and Eom Ji-sung.

Both were instrumental in the win over Preston, and Ronald played a key role in Swansea’s opening goal here, with his powerful volley forcing a save from Horvath, only for Cullen to pounce and score his third goal in three derby starts.

Swansea continued to threaten Cardiff out wide, with Josh Tymon delivering a dangerous cross from the left that called Horvath into action, and Eom probing on the right.

Despite their control, Swansea didn’t create many clear-cut chances, leaving Cardiff still in the contest despite their flat and uninspired display.

Cardiff struggled to maintain possession, often running out of ideas, with their only noteworthy effort in the first half coming when Ronald gave the ball away, allowing Wilfried Kanga to curl a 20-yard shot just wide.

The visitors improved after the break as Bulut made a bold move, replacing central midfielder Alex Robertson with the more attacking Rubin Colwill.

The Wales international brought a new threat, running at Swansea’s defenders and providing the creative spark Cardiff desperately needed.

It was Colwill who initiated the move for Cardiff's equaliser, driving forward from midfield and playing the ball out to the right, where fellow substitute Ollie Tanner delivered a low cross that Robinson fired home first time.

An energised Cardiff pressed forward, with Manolis Siopis seeing a shot from the edge of the penalty area saved by Lawrence Vigouroux.

Swansea, who had been in control for most of the game, suddenly appeared unsettled and lacking direction.

However, the frenetic and ill-tempered final stages disrupted the match’s flow, and the old rivals had to settle for a draw for the first time in nine meetings.

What did you think of the match?

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