Rotherham United and Blackburn Rovers will do battle at the New York Stadium on Saturday in the second round of Championship fixtures this term, after experiencing differing starts to the campaign last weekend.
The hosts will search for their first points of the season after losing away at Stoke City on the opening day, while the visitors made a winning start to the term before both were involved in EFL Cup action in midweek.
Match preview
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Following the departure of long-serving manager Paul Warne early last season, Matt Taylor stepped into the Rotherham United hot seat in early October, and he guided them to their first Championship survival since 2016, as the South Yorkshire outfit finished 19th with 50 points from their 46 outings - six points clear of the bottom three.
The Millers would then turn their focus to the new term and again bid to maintain their second-tier status this time around in their first full campaign under Taylor's stewardship, and after their preparations finished with consecutive friendly wins over Mansfield Town, Sheffield United and Lincoln City, they began the new Championship season in a tough test away at Stoke City last Saturday.
Taylor's men endured a tough day at the office in that opening encounter, as Ki-Jana Hoever opened the scoring for the hosts inside five minutes and Andre Vidigal netted a brace deep into injury time in the first half to make it 3-0 before Lee Peltier pulled one back early in the second period and Jacob Brown added insult to injury at the end of the contest, scoring in the 90th minute to wrap up a 4-1 home victory.
Following that disappointment, the Millers were then in EFL Cup action on Tuesday at home to Morecambe, and they would only prevail in a penalty shootout, with the sides finishing the 90 minutes level at a goal apiece thanks to Joshua Kayode's first-half opener, before Jordan Hugill, Oliver Rathbone, Tyler Blackett and Fred Onyedinma all converted their spot kicks to ensure they progressed in the competition.
Hoping to put the heavy opening-day defeat behind them, Rotherham United will now look to put their first three points on the board in the Championship as they play their first home league game of the season on Saturday.
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They meet a Blackburn Rovers team who will aim to build on a winning start to the term after just missing out on the playoffs last time around.
Under the new management of Jon Dahl Tomasson, the Lancashire outfit enjoyed a strong campaign last time around, eventually finishing in seventh spot with 69 points from their 46 outings and only missing out on a top-six spot on goal difference.
Then building towards his second year as Rovers boss, they capped off pre-season with victories over Barnsley and Stockport County and a narrow defeat to La Liga outfit Girona, before kicking off their Championship term at home to West Bromwich Albion and enjoying a fine start as Ivan Markanday put them ahead in the 20th minute and Harry Leonard instantly added a second.
On the back of that three-point haul, Rovers welcomed Walsall to Ewood Park for their EFL Cup first-round tie on Tuesday, and in an eventful contest, they eventually prevailed with a 4-3 victory, as Zak Gilsenan and Niall Ennis put them ahead on two separate occasions in the first half before Jake Garrett and John Buckley established the lead with second-half goals.
With confidence bound to be high in the camp following their fast start, Blackburn Rovers will now go on the road for a competitive game for the first time this season and bid to make it three wins from three games and two from two in England's second tier.
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Team News
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Rotherham United rotated their squad heavily for the EFL Cup contest against Morecambe in midweek, and Matt Taylor should revert to a similar starting XI to their league opener on Saturday, with midfielder Cafu back in contention, having served a suspension in the cup after being sent off for a pair of yellow card in their defeat to Stoke City.
Jordan Hugill was deployed as a lone striker in that curtain-raiser, but at the New York Stadium Taylor may look to go slightly more attacking with either Joshua Kayode or Georgie Kelly joining him up front, while Cafu will battle with regulars Oliver Rathbone, Ben Wiles and Hakeem Odoffin to feature in the midfield.
Defender Lee Peltier will miss out after his substitute appearance against Stoke, in which he netted their only goal, was cut short by an injury concern, and Cameron Humphreys, Sean Morrison and Tyler Blackett should again form a back three in his absence with Cohen Bramall and Luton Town loanee Fred Onyedinma lining up in wing-back roles, while Viktor Johansson will come back in between the sticks despite Dillon Phillips's penalty shootout heroics in their cup triumph.
Blackburn also rotated heavily for the cup in midweek, and while several attacking players were able to get onto the scoresheet and impress, including summer arrival Niall Ennis, Tomasson could instead revert to the same starting XI that featured in their opening-day win over West Bromwich Albion, with Harry Leonard likely to lead the line after opening his account for the season in that game.
Dilan Markanday also got on the scoresheet in that match and will again start on the right wing, likely joining Sammie Szmodics and Tyrhys Dolan in a supporting trio following the summer departures of Bradley Dack and star man Ben Brereton Diaz.
Adam Wharton will fight to come in from the start in midfield, after Sondre Tronstad was preferred alongside Lewis Travis last weekend, while Hayden Carter will again partner up alongside Dominic Hyam at the heart of the defence.
Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Humphreys, Morrison, Blackett; Onyedinma, Rathbone, Wiles, Odoffin, Bramall; Hugill, Kayode
Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:
Pears; Rankin-Costello, Hyam, Carter, Pickering; Travis, Wharton; Markanday, Szmodics, Dolan; Leonard
We say: Rotherham United 1-1 Blackburn Rovers
Rotherham United failed to impress on the opening day, while the visitors scored an encouraging victory, but we do fancy the Millers to be more resilient on home turf and do not see Blackburn leaving with all three points, instead envisaging a low-scoring draw in South Yorkshire.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Sam Varley
