Wrexham A.F.C. kick off their 2026/27 Championship season on Monday night, as Phil Parkinson's team heads to Cardiff City Stadium for a much-anticipated all-Welsh clash with newly promoted Cardiff City. The match is set to kick-off at 8pm live on Sky Sports, on Monday evening. Wrexham finished seventh with 71 points, just missing the play-offs after scoring 69 goals and conceding 65 times last season. Improvements in the defence and in goal have happened this summer, with the Red Dragons securing Anthony Patterson from Sunderland. The reported £8m signing of a former Premier League goalkeeper is seen as a key addition this summer. A close game is expected while Cardiff City's homefield advantage could just give them the edge. Cardiff City start the new season after earning immediate return to the Championship with a strong campaign in League One. The Bluebirds finished second with 91 points and scored an impressive 90 goals, showing the attacking power that brought them back up. Yousef Salech and Callum Robinson are key threats as Cardiff aim to carry their League One momentum into the new Championship season. Cardiff kicked off the new season with a 3-2 win over Swindon Town in the Carabao Cup first round and had an impressive 4-1 friendly victory over AS Roma earlier this month. Late last season, they also defeated Northampton Town 5-1. It's a clear sign that the Bluebirds know where the goal is and they will be a tough team to handle for Parkinson's Wrexham. Many pundits think this could be a perfect time for Wrexham to finally reach the Premier League, the club has improved both on and off the field this summer, and they will want to kick start the league campaign with a big win over their rivals. Wrexham's last game before Monday was a 1-0 Carabao Cup loss to Middlesbrough. Before that, they narrowly lost 1-0 to Liverpool and managed an impressive performance over Manchester United, with Sam Smith's goal securing the victory. The two sides last met in the League Cup in October 2025, with Cardiff won 2-1 at the Racecourse. That's their own recent competitive meeting, as both club have spent several years in different leagues. Monday's game brings a new challenge for both side, Cardiff comes in with momentum following the promotion to the league and home advantage. Wrexham have had a year within the league and the new addition has strengthened the squad. Parkinson will hope his team's experience and physically will be enough to secure all three points and have early bragging rights.