Blackburn Rovers will host relegation side Barnsley at the Ewood Park in the Championship on Thursday. The two teams met earlier this season when they played out a 0-0 draw heavily dominated by Barnsley.
Blackburn will be looking to apply pressure on the top 2 spots with a win against Barnsley. They have the best home record in the division till now winning 26 points in 12 home games.
Blackburn has outperformed everyone in the league recently. They come into this game on the back of five straight wins without conceding a single goal. Their aggregate score in those games would be 12-0.
Their last game against Hull City was postponed two hours before kick-off due to a coronavirus scare. Had Rovers won that game, they would have gone joint top with Fulham.
Tony Mowbray’s side is currently 3rd on the table with 42 points. 3 behind Fulham and an automatic promotion spot. Their top scorer Brereton Diaz will be the key man for the home side.
Blackburn Rovers Sky Bet Championship form: W W W W W
Barnsley on the other end of the table has had a completely contrasting season to the home side. Second, from the bottom of the table, Barnsley’s side has only recorded two wins so far this season.
The Tykes have accumulated 14 in their 23 games, 7 points behind safety. They will certainly be labeled as the underdogs in this game.
Poya Asbaghi’s side will have taken some positives from their draw against West Bromwich Albion. They will be hoping to repeat their performance from the reverse fixture where they did everything but put the ball into the net.
Barnsley Sky Bet Championship form: L D D L D
Blackburn Rovers vs Barnsley: Team news
Blackburn Rovers
Assuming they do not have Covid related absentees, the home side should be fielding the same line-up.
Ian Poveda and Bradley Dack will remain sidelined due to injuries.
Possible Blackburn Rovers starting line-up
Kaminski; Lenihan, Van Hecke Wharton; Nyambe, Travis, Rothwell, Pickering; Buckley; Brereton Diaz, Khadra
Barnsley
Barnsley is also expected to play an unchanged line-up from their draw against West Bromwich Albion. Although, their manager Poya Asbaghi has revealed that they have two more players infected with the coronavirus who remain anonymous.
Possible Barnsley starting line-up
Collins; Helik, Andersen, Kitching; Williams, Gomes, Benson, Brittain; Styles, Iseka, Morris
Our Prediction
Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Barnsley
The home side is unbeaten in seven games and is showing no signs of slowing down. It would be a huge surprise if they manage to drop any points in this game.
Rover’s recent showings have been nothing short of sensational. They also have the best home record in the league. Their postponed game will only have given them more time to rest and prepare to face Barnsley.
It would be very difficult for Barnsley to get anything out of this game. They should be more than content if they come away with a point in this game.
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