Sports · Football · 2 hrs ago
Salech scores as Cardiff beat Birmingham 1-0
Cardiff City beat Birmingham City 1-0 in a Championship match in Cardiff, Wales.
Yousef Salech scored the winner in the first half, shortly after a Birmingham goalkeeper saved his penalty.
Salech had been out for five weeks with a shoulder injury and was expected to start on the bench.
Defender Krystian Bielik was injured in the warm-up, prompting Cardiff to change their line-up and bring Salech in to start.
The win ended Birmingham's five-match unbeaten run and gave newly promoted Cardiff a third straight home victory.
Cardiff also kept their first clean sheet of the season, while Birmingham remained in the play-off places despite losing.
Cardiff will next face Wolves and West Ham, according to the match coverage.
Cardiff City beat Birmingham City 1-0 at Cardiff City Stadium, with Yousef Salech scoring the winner in the first half.
Salech started unexpectedly after Krystian Bielik was injured during the warm-up.
Salech returned after five weeks out with a shoulder injury, had a penalty saved and then scored.
The win gave Cardiff a third successive home victory and ended Birmingham’s five-match unbeaten run.
Both teams marked the 60th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster before the match.
- Who
- Cardiff City and Birmingham City, with Yousef Salech scoring for Cardiff.
- What
- Cardiff won 1-0.
- When
- October 24, 2026.
- Where
- Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff, south Wales.
- Why
- Salech scored the winning goal; the sources do not state a broader reason for the result.
Cardiff City
Birmingham City
Performance
Cardiff City
Cardiff pressed and controlled much of the match, and their manager said the team aims to play intense, aggressive football.
Birmingham City
Birmingham manager Chris Davies said his side was often second to the ball and could not get close to Cardiff’s box.
Goal
Cardiff City
Cardiff’s account was that Salech was stronger than Phil Neumann when he turned to score.
Birmingham City
Some Birmingham players believed Neumann had been fouled before Salech scored.
Both teams wore black armbands and observed a minute’s silence for the 60th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster.
Krystian Bielik felt a groin problem and was withdrawn, prompting Cardiff to reshuffle and bring Salech into the starting line-up.
Cardiff were awarded a penalty after Tomoki Iwata pulled down Perry Ng, but James Beadle saved Salech’s kick.
Salech scored from close range after receiving Ollie Tanner’s low cross.
Nathan Trott saved Demarai Gray’s close-range effort as Cardiff held on for the win.
- Score
- Cardiff City 1-0 Birmingham City
- Winner
- Yousef Salech
- Venue
- Cardiff City Stadium
- Birmingham run
- Five-match unbeaten run ended
- Cardiff run
- Three successive home wins
- Aberfan anniversary
- 60th anniversary; 144 people died, including 116 children
3 sources
What people are saying
He looked punch-drunk afterwards, but I think the victory will make him sleep easier.
We understood what the day meant to everybody, so to get the victory that was so badly wanted is very special for everyone.
The best team won, in any game if you’re second to the ball that much it’s always going to be hard.
We were very disorganised for the goal, how easy it came in to the box and the goal.