Sheffield Wednesday go up against Cardiff City in the Championship this weekend.
Sheffield Wednesday play at Hillsborough for the final time in 2023 this Saturday, when they welcome Welsh outfit Cardiff City.
The Owls are looking for a third-straight win at home under Danny Rohl; they’ve not won three-straight home games in the Championship since February 2021.
Sheffield Wednesday came from behind against QPR last time out after they’d beaten Blackburn Rovers earlier in the month.
As it stands, Wednesday currently sit six points behind Huddersfield Town in 21st, compared to Cardiff City who sit in 12th after an impressive season so far.
And the visit of the Bluebirds on Saturday will see a former Wednesday man back in South Yorkshire.
Mark McGuinness back at Hillsborough
Mark McGuinness is a name that Wednesday fans remember fondly.
The Irishman, formerly on the books at Arsenal, spent time on loan with the Owls during the 2022/23 season.
He signed on an initial season-long loan deal and went on to make 17 League One appearances, even winning Sheffield Wednesday’s November Player of the Month award.
But Cardiff City chose to recall him in January and he’s since become a key player for the Bluebirds.
Former Owls boss Darren Moore described McGuiness as a ‘tremendous’ player.
Could he come back to haunt Sheffield Wednesday?
McGuinness has started every one of Cardiff’s 22 Championship games so far this season, playing a key role in a defence that’s kept an impressive seven clean sheets; Cardiff have conceded 27 goals so far this season, making them the joint-fifth best defence in the Championship.
As per Sofascore, McGuinness averages 3.9 clearances, 3.7 recovered balls, 1.3 interceptions, and 1.2 tackles, as well as being dribbled past just 0.7 times each game.
So McGuiness is certainly in fine form and it’s no less than Sheffield Wednesday fans would expect after seeing what he could during his time on loan at the club.
But the Owls faithful has a new favourite in Bailey Cadamarteri and he against McGuinness will be a key battle in the game on Saturday afternoon.
The 18-year-old has now scored three Championship goals since coming into the first-team and has cemented his place in the starting XI under Rohl, who’s truly won over the hearts of Wednesday fans in the last few weeks.
Saturday’s game kicks off at 3pm and a win could lift the Owls to within three points of safety.