Saturday’s big Championship tie sees Tony Mowbray’s Blackburn Rovers meet one of his former sides – Middlesbrough at Ewood Park.
Both teams are still searching for their first league wins of this season but midweek saw contrasting fortunes in the Carabao Cup against League Two opposition as Rovers snuck past Oldham whilst Boro crashed out to Crewe Alexandra.
Team news
Embed from Getty ImagesBlackburn could hand deadline day signing, Greg Cunningham his first league start after completing the entirety of their Carabao Cup win over Oldham in midweek.
Darragh Lenihan is available after missing Rovers’ last two matches with a knee injury but Tosin Adarabioyo is a doubt with a knock.
Middlesbrough will recall several first team regulars who were rested for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup game, with Ryan Shotton and Marvin Johnson amongst those set to start.
George Friend is available after successfully completing a full game against Crewe but Rudy Gestede is ruled out with a hamstring strain whilst Hayden Coulson is sidelined with a knock.
Dael Fry has recovered from his hamstring injury and successfully completed an U23s game against Stoke, although this first team match comes just too soon for the youngster.
Form
Blackburn ended their winless start in midweek when they twice came from behind to beat Oldham in the Carabao Cup, although they have conceded twice in that match plus their two opening league games.
Middlesbrough meanwhile have drawn two of their opening three in all competitions (excluding Tuesday’s penalties loss to Crewe), scoring five and conceding six.
Stat Attack
- Blackburn have lost just one of their last eight league meetings with Middlesbrough (W2, D5, L1).
- Both teams have scored three of their last four meetings with two of those games finishing as a draw.
- Britt Assombalonga scored for Boro in both meetings last season with Blackburn.
- Middlesbrough last failed to win any of their opening three league games of a new season back in 2003-04, which they went on to finish 11th in the Premier League that campaign.
- On the last two occasions in which Blackburn failed to win their three opening league games of a new season (2011-12 Premier League & 2016-17 Championship), they went on to be relegated at the end of both seasons.
Prediction
With both teams currently playing attacking football yet so poor in defence, this should be an exciting game given that a draw here would be a bad result for the promotion hopes of either team.
Boro need to be more clinical and cleaner in their play after having two first half goals ruled out last weekend but Blackburn are just as scruffy as evidenced by their three goals scored so far, with their goal against Charlton two weeks ago luckily coming off the back of the Addicks’ keeper.
I am therefore going for both teams to score but Rovers will be carrying the confidence from their midweek comeback, which will give them the edge if they’re are sharp enough.
Prediction: Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Middlesbrough
Result: Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Middlesbrough