Blackburn vs West Brom prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-08-04 14:00.
Aiming to channel the disappointment of narrowly missing out on the play-offs last season, Blackburn kick off their Championship campaign against West Brom. Last season’s seventh placed finish was the latest in a string of near misses for Blackburn since their relegation from the top-flight in 2011/12, but perhaps the “great team spirit” boss Jon Dahl Tomasson described in the build up to this clash can help change that.
One thing that certainly won’t help Blackburn’s promotion push is the departure of Ben Brereton DĂaz – Rovers’ top scorer in each of the last two campaigns. The fact the Chilean left for free only serves to rub salt in the wounds, but perhaps there is cause for optimism in the fact this season begins at Ewood Park, with Blackburn opening up their two prior Championship campaigns with victories on home turf.
Finishing just two places behind Blackburn last term, West Brom will themselves harbour promotion hopes. With a full Carlos Corberán pre-season under their belt, the Baggies look poised to challenge at the business end of the table, but they’ll have to start better than they did last season when they picked up just a sole victory from their opening 13 league games (D8, L4).
That torrid run included a 2-1 defeat at Ewood Park, and visiting this part of East Lancashire has historically been a thankless task for West Brom, who have won on just two of their last 13 visits to Blackburn (D4, L7). In spite of that poor travelling record, hope would usually spring eternal at the start of a new season, but maybe not at West Brom, who find themselves in financial difficulty and awaiting news of a potential takeover before they can think about seriously strengthening the playing squad.
Players to watch: Aiming to step up and fill the Brereton DĂaz-shaped hole, Blackburn’s Tyrhys Dolan is a fan of home comforts, with seven of his last eight Championship goals coming at Ewood Park. West Brom’s John Swift is never far away from the Ewood action either, collecting a yellow card on his two previous visits.
Hot stat: Both teams have scored in four of Carlos Corberán’s five personal managerial H2Hs against Blackburn.