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CARDIFFPossessionLeicester 50%Cardiff 50%Attempts on targetLeicester 0Cardiff 0Attempts off targetLeicester 0Cardiff 0CornersLeicester 0Cardiff 0FoulsLeicester 0Cardiff 0Coca Cola Championship play-off, semi-final first legVenue: Walkers Stadium Date: Sunday, 9 May 2010 Kick-off: 1315 BSTCoverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, local radio & Sky Sports 1
TEAM NEWS
Leicester pair Michael Morrison and Nicky Adams have recovered from the injuries that forced them to miss the final league game of the season. Joint-leading scorer Matty Fryatt is in contention for his start since fracturing his jaw in February.
Cardiff manager Dave Jones will restore his top two goalscorers to the starting line-up.
Peter Whittingham and Michael Chopra were both rested for the last game against Derby.
MATCH PREVIEW Leicester are chasing back-to-back promotions, and last season's League One champions go into the play-offs in their best form of an impressive season after five consecutive victories.
The Foxes, who were last in the Premier League six years ago, have been involved in the play-offs four times before. They were promoted to the top flight via them in 1994 and 1996, and have never failed to reach the final.
Cardiff boss Dave Jones - the Championship's longest serving manager - is hoping to change that. Jones has tasted glory in the play-offs before, having taken Wolves into the Premier League in 2003; the year his current club won promotion to the second tier by beating QPR at the Millennium Stadium.
Bluebirds fans, many of whom have never seen their team compete among the elite, are hoping for another play-off triumph. This time, though, the prize is top-flight football for the Welsh side for the first time in 48 years.
Cardiff also ended the regular season strongly, going 10 games unbeaten before losing 2-0 at Derby in their last match, when their top-six place was already assured.
The club has been given another six weeks to pay off an outstanding tax bill of £1.9m after their case to avoid a winding-up order was adjourned for a fourth time.
MATCH FACTSHead-to-head
• Leicester and Cardiff have each won 20 of the previous 51 league and cup meetings between the clubs.
• This will be their fourth meeting this season. Cardiff knocked Leicester out of the FA Cup in January, while the two Championship clashes both ended in home wins.
• Leicester's victory over Cardiff in March was their first win in five home matches against the Bluebirds.
Leicester
• Leicester have played 12 previous matches in the play-offs, winning six and drawing four of them.
• They are hoping to become the sixth club to finish the regular season in fifth place and then be promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs. Burnley, who went up last year, also finished fifth.
• Defender Wayne Brown is set to make his 350th club career start.
Cardiff
• Cardiff have won three, lost three and drawn one of the club's seven previous play-off matches.
• They are hoping to become the first club since Charlton 12 years ago to be promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs after finishing the regular season in fourth place.
• Goalkeeper David Marshall is set to make his 200th career start, and Stephen McPhail his 150th start for Cardiff.
MOST RECENT MEETING
Cardiff scorers: McCormack 10, Whittingham 45.
Leicester scorer: Howard 52.This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
TEAM NEWS
Leicester pair Michael Morrison and Nicky Adams have recovered from the injuries that forced them to miss the final league game of the season. Joint-leading scorer Matty Fryatt is in contention for his start since fracturing his jaw in February.
Cardiff manager Dave Jones will restore his top two goalscorers to the starting line-up.
Peter Whittingham and Michael Chopra were both rested for the last game against Derby.
MATCH PREVIEW Leicester are chasing back-to-back promotions, and last season's League One champions go into the play-offs in their best form of an impressive season after five consecutive victories.
The Foxes, who were last in the Premier League six years ago, have been involved in the play-offs four times before. They were promoted to the top flight via them in 1994 and 1996, and have never failed to reach the final.
Cardiff boss Dave Jones - the Championship's longest serving manager - is hoping to change that. Jones has tasted glory in the play-offs before, having taken Wolves into the Premier League in 2003; the year his current club won promotion to the second tier by beating QPR at the Millennium Stadium.
Bluebirds fans, many of whom have never seen their team compete among the elite, are hoping for another play-off triumph. This time, though, the prize is top-flight football for the Welsh side for the first time in 48 years.
Cardiff also ended the regular season strongly, going 10 games unbeaten before losing 2-0 at Derby in their last match, when their top-six place was already assured.
The club has been given another six weeks to pay off an outstanding tax bill of £1.9m after their case to avoid a winding-up order was adjourned for a fourth time.
MATCH FACTSHead-to-head
• Leicester and Cardiff have each won 20 of the previous 51 league and cup meetings between the clubs.
• This will be their fourth meeting this season. Cardiff knocked Leicester out of the FA Cup in January, while the two Championship clashes both ended in home wins.
• Leicester's victory over Cardiff in March was their first win in five home matches against the Bluebirds.
Leicester
• Leicester have played 12 previous matches in the play-offs, winning six and drawing four of them.
• They are hoping to become the sixth club to finish the regular season in fifth place and then be promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs. Burnley, who went up last year, also finished fifth.
• Defender Wayne Brown is set to make his 350th club career start.
Cardiff
• Cardiff have won three, lost three and drawn one of the club's seven previous play-off matches.
• They are hoping to become the first club since Charlton 12 years ago to be promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs after finishing the regular season in fourth place.
• Goalkeeper David Marshall is set to make his 200th career start, and Stephen McPhail his 150th start for Cardiff.
MOST RECENT MEETING
Cardiff scorers: McCormack 10, Whittingham 45.
Leicester scorer: Howard 52.This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.