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Championship preview

Image: Malky Mackay: Hoping Cardiff can stretch their lead at the top

Leaders Cardiff kick off Saturday's action at home to Bristol City keen to stretch their eight-point advantage over second-placed Hull.

Hull host Charlton; Watford make trip to Birmingham

Leaders Cardiff kick off Saturday's action in their lunchtime clash at home to Bristol City, with the high-fliers keen to stretch their eight-point advantage over second-placed Hull after they could only draw at Huddersfield last time out. The Welsh side will be keen to pile more hurt on the lowly Robins, who are second-bottom of the standings but have won three of their last four games. Hull may have played a game more than the Bluebirds but they will be looking to keep up the heat on the leaders when they host Charlton after moving into second place above Leicester in midweek. The Addicks visit the Yorkshire club having gone three games without a win and will be keen to address that run on Saturday. Watford have the chance to leapfrog fellow promotion hopefuls Leicester into third place when they make the trip to Birmingham. The Hornets are level on points with a game in hand over the Foxes, who are not in action until Tuesday, and will be looking for a maximum haul against 16th-place Birmingham. Play-off hopefuls Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough collide at Selhurst Park with just one place and two points separating the two. The fifth-placed Eagles will be keen to keep Boro at bay after they ended a run of five straight league defeats against Leeds in midweek. Struggling Nottingham Forest have lost their last three on the bounce and will be desperate to turn things around when they host Bolton. The Trotters claimed an encouraging 2-1 win over Burnley last time out and will hope to turn that into a winning run at the City Ground. Blackpool remain without a manager as they make the trip to lowly Ipswich but will be looking to build on their win over Millwall last time out. Wolves are teetering on the brink of the relegation places and visit 10th-place Derby looking to put some distance between themselves and the drop zone.

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