Rotherham vs Blackburn prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-08-11 14:00.
After a forgettable season in which they claimed just five Championship points after conceding the opening goal, it was more of the same for Rotherham when they fell behind against Stoke within five minutes on the opening day and could never recover (L 4-1). It was described as a “tough afternoon” by boss Matt Taylor, who in his five previous seasons as a first team manager had never experienced an opening round defeat let alone one of that magnitude.
On this occasion, he and his players will be hoping history can repeat itself, as amidst the stress and angst of their ultimately successful relegation battle in 2022/23, Rotherham enjoyed two resounding 4-0 victories: at home in the second round of the season (v Reading), and later on in their home fixture against upcoming opponents Blackburn. It was the most recent of ten consecutive H2Hs in any league that the visiting side of the day failed to win.
Blackburn have already emulated last season’s 2-1 home win over West Brom, the third consecutive time they kicked off a new Championship campaign with a win. It was hailed by Jon Dahl Tomasson as “an exceptional performance against one of the best teams in the league”. He was, however, left to lament a “stupid goal” conceded that denied them a clean sheet for a sixth consecutive league game.
Taking a 2-0 lead inside 30 minutes should give them confidence heading into this clash, not just because of the manner in which Rotherham were blown out of the water by Stoke, but also due to the fact Rovers closed out the latter portion of their Championship away campaign with some resolute performances. They lost just two of nine league road games (W2, D5) since last visiting Rotherham, compared with nine away losses prior to and including the most recent H2H.
Players to watch: The referee may need to keep a close eye on Rotherham’s Cohen Bramall, who has been booked in three of his last five Championship games. For a second consecutive season, Dilan Markanday found the net in his first competitive appearance. He did so in his second start of 2022/23 as well, albeit in a Carabao Cup game a couple of weeks later!
Hot stat: All but one of Blackburn’s last nine away Championship games saw both teams score.