Southampton vs Blackburn - prediction, team news, lineups

Southampton play big to Blackburn Rovers connected Tuesday evening looking for the triumph that would support the nine successful the hunt for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

At a clip erstwhile the Saints beryllium successful 5th presumption successful the Championship table, Rovers are down successful 19th spot successful the standings, 4 points wide of the relegation zone.

Match preview

Such has been Southampton's signifier since January 21 that galore viewed it arsenic a foregone decision that they would gain 3 points against Derby County connected Saturday.

However, Tonda Eckart's broadside had to overturn a half-time shortage to register a 2-1 triumph implicit the Rams astatine St Mary's.

Not lone person Southampton present won their past 5 matches successful the Championship, they extended their unbeaten streak crossed each competitions to 17 games.

Although securing a playoff spot volition stay the precedence for now, winning their remaining 5 fixtures would support them successful the hunt for 2nd place. Ipswich would beryllium required to suffer astatine slightest 3 of their past six games for that to go achievable.

Perhaps much realistically, Southampton volition purpose to pursuit down third-placed Millwall, who are 4 points up of them having played a crippled more.

Southampton person accumulated 39 points from their 20 league matches astatine St Mary's. Furthermore, they person conceded conscionable 15 goals, the joint-best antiaircraft grounds successful the division.

As acold arsenic Blackburn are concerned, determination is an statement that they person produced the champion rearguard enactment successful the part crossed the past 7 fixtures.

Michael O'Neill's broadside person shipped conscionable 4 goals crossed that play and not conceded much than erstwhile successful a azygous fixture since the commencement of March.

Saturday's 1-1 gully astatine Stoke City extended their unbeaten grounds to 5 matches (W2 D3) successful the Championship, retaining their cushion up of the bottommost three.

Despite Portsmouth and Oxford United winning connected Saturday, O'Neill would person been contented with his squad continuing to churn retired results since his arrival.

A full of 16 points person been collected from 11 matches since February 13, the ninth-best grounds successful the 2nd tier crossed that period.

Blackburn person besides softly enactment unneurotic a beardown distant grounds this campaign, picking up 28 points from 21 fixtures and avoiding decision successful their past 3 specified contests.

Southampton Championship form:

D W W W W W

Southampton signifier (all competitions):

W W W W W W

Blackburn Rovers Championship form:

L W D W D D

Team News

Eckart is expected to marque a fig of changes to his Southampton XI, with Shea Charles and Kuryu Matsuki among those who should return.

Cyle Larin is besides successful enactment to get the motion implicit Ross Stewart down the centre of the attack, portion Cameron Archer remains an option.

Nathan Wood could besides beryllium handed minutes successful the centre of defence, perchance successful spot for Jack Stephens.

Meanwhile, O'Neill whitethorn instrumentality the accidental to freshen up his Blackburn side, with Taylor Gardner-Hickman an enactment to instrumentality successful midfield.

With Yuki Ohashi having played 3 90 minutes successful succession without a goal, Mathias Jorgensen could instrumentality down the centre of the attack.

Scott Wharton's hamstring wounded volition proceed to beryllium assessed, but O'Neill whitethorn spot nary crushed to hazard the defender astatine this signifier of their relegation scrap.

Southampton imaginable starting lineup:

Peretz; Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Stephens, Manning; Jander, Charles; Matsuki, Azaz, Scienza; Larin

Blackburn Rovers imaginable starting lineup:

Toth; Atcheson, McLoughlin, Cashin; Alebiosu, Forshaw, Gardner-Hickman, Ribeiro; Morishita, Cantwell; Jorgensen

We say: Southampton 2-0 Blackburn Rovers

Having enactment unneurotic their ain unbeaten streak, Blackburn volition person assurance that they tin nullify their in-form hosts. However, we cannot backmost against the Saints, who whitethorn people a extremity successful each fractional to unafraid different potentially-pivotal 3 points.

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