Cardiff City v Swansea City: Test of character awaits on south Wales derby day

Swansea City can dream of an unprecedented double, Cardiff City dare not lose.

Pressure on players is inevitable when the south Wales derby comes around.

But when Cardiff and Swansea meet in the Welsh capital on Sunday, there may be more tension in the home dressing room.

Why? Because the Swans have one derby victory on the board in 2019-20.

Should Steve Cooper's team get beaten in the return fixture, this season's spoils will be shared.

But if Swansea triumph, Cardiff will be left licking sizeable wounds having become the first team in the 108-year history of the fixture to lose both league meetings in one season.

It is a scenario Neil Harris' players are desperate to avoid.

Losing one derby is bad enough, as this Bluebirds squad can testify following a 1-0 defeat at Liberty Stadium in October.

"It was horrible," says winger Junior Hoilett. "Everybody was down, ashamed, and everybody came in the next day to work and rectify it."

Hoilett did not play at Swansea because of injury, but defeat by the neighbours drags everybody down.

Victory in this contest, by contrast, means smiles all round.

Swansea have tasted that feeling more often than not in recent times, having won 10 of the last 20 compared to five Cardiff successes.

Ben Wilmot's header proved the difference in the most recent encounter as numerous players on both sides, among them Swansea captain Matt Grimes, got a first taste of the derby experience.

"We won so it was as positive as you can get," Grimes says.

"We played some decent stuff and dealt with the typical derby-type game. We will be drawing on the positives from that win and trying to take that into this game."

Grimes is in relaxed mood given that a trip to the Cardiff City Stadium awaits, but that is what comes from victory in the season's first derby.

"We are full of confidence and we are in good form," the midfielder adds.

"But they are obviously a dangerous team with some very good players, so we will be wary of that."

Hoilett has never faced Swansea in a Cardiff shirt, but the Canada international has sampled derbies at previous clubs.

"I played in a few at QPR and one at Blackburn, but this is going to be one of the biggest," he says. "I am looking forward to it."

Cardiff manager Harris will be another of this weekend's south Wales derby debutants.

His team are not in great form, but their home record this season is superb.

Ideally, of course, they would not be facing the prospect of a Swansea double - but Hoilett brushes aside talk of Cardiff concerns.

"I don't think it's anything to be scared of," he adds.

"Like the manager says, it's a great opportunity to rectify things and it's a great match to be involved in.

"Everybody knows to look forward to this game, to give 100% and the rest will follow."

Slow starts have been an issue for Cardiff of late, but Hoilett does not anticipate any problem on that score with Swansea in town.

"Everybody knows the magnitude of this game," he adds. "We have to go out there from minute one."

Swansea, meanwhile, are braced for a barrage against a Cardiff team who could have the upper hand when it comes to the physical battle.

"We fully expect them to fly out of the traps, press us high all over the pitch and really come after us, as they did at our place," Grimes says.

"We expect it even more with them at home and needing a win.

"Then when the game settles down, which we know it will, we will get to playing our style of football and hopefully that's how we'll win the game."

Swansea's plan, as ever, will be to control the contest by controlling the ball, something they were allowed to do too easily when Cardiff went west in the autumn.

The Bluebirds must do more to stop Swansea playing this time around if they are to take revenge.

Should Cardiff knock Cooper's men out of their stride, the likes of Hoilett, Gavin Whyte and Lee Tomlin will have more chances to ask questions of Swansea and more set-pieces - which could be a key weapon for the hosts - ought to follow.

Not only that, but the home crowd should be more of a factor.

"We have to be the stronger side and hope our fans get behind us and be that extra man to push us in difficult periods," reckons Hoilett.

If Swansea are to do something special, Grimes acknowledges, they must cope with the catcalls which are sure to come their way.

"We have to relish the fact that we are going to be under the cosh at times, especially from the crowd," he says.

"It's a real test of character."

In truth characters are likely to be examined on both sides. In this derby, after all, that is usually the way.

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