Swansea City and Blackburn Rovers meet on Saturday afternoon, with both sides looking to strengthen their respective positions in the EFL Championship.
Swansea City have made an encouraging start to the season under Vitor Matos, sitting second after 12 matches despite being widely expected to struggle. Their defensive organisation has been a major strength, with only eight goals conceded in their first 11 league games before last weekend’s damaging 5-0 defeat at Queens Park Rangers.
That heavy loss at Loftus Road will have concerned Matos, particularly as Swansea conceded three goals inside the opening 15 minutes. Nevertheless, their home record remains solid, with just three goals shipped in six fixtures at the Swansea.com Stadium, and they have lost only once in the league all season, away to West Ham United.
The bigger issue for Swansea has been their lack of cutting edge, with only seven goals scored in 12 matches. If they are to remain in the automatic promotion places, they will need to rediscover their attacking rhythm quickly, starting against a Blackburn side growing in confidence.
Blackburn Rovers were among the pre-season relegation favourites, but Tony Mowbray has transformed them into genuine promotion contenders. Thirteen points from their last six matches have lifted Rovers to 10th, leaving them just seven points behind leaders Middlesbrough and three points adrift of fifth place.
Their most recent outing produced a 2-0 win over Wrexham, extending a strong run of form and underlining the progress made under Mowbray. Blackburn’s away record has been steady rather than spectacular, with six points collected from six road fixtures, while their two away defeats, at Preston North End and West Bromwich Albion, came by one-goal margins.
Rovers will make the long trip to South Wales believing they can close the gap on Swansea to two points with a victory. Their defensive improvement and growing momentum make them a difficult opponent, even for a Swansea side that has been difficult to beat on home soil.
Team News & Tactics
Swansea City
Vitor Matos is expected to make changes following the humiliation at QPR, with Jay Fulton, Eom Ji-sung and Jan Vipotnik all in contention to return to the starting lineup. The hosts are missing at least four of their key first team stars, which could force the manager into some alterations.
Jenson Seelt could also come into the heart of the defence as Matos looks to restore stability after last weekend’s defensive collapse.
Swansea will be without Josh Key, Moussa Yeo and Ronald through injury, limiting Matos’s options in wide and attacking areas.
The hosts are likely to retain their possession-based approach, using Stamenic at the base of midfield and relying on Eom, Just, Eustaquio and Widell to create opportunities for Vipotnik.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vigouroux; Lissah, Seelt, Cabango, Tymon; Stamenic; Eom, Just, Eustaquio, Widell; Vipotnik
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn will be forced into at least one change, with Sam Morsy suspended after collecting five yellow cards this season. Jake Garrett is expected to replace him in midfield, and Tony Mowbray may otherwise keep changes to a minimum after the win over Wrexham.
As many as nine players are potentially out of contention including Adam Forshaw, Ryoya Morishita and Yuki Ohashi, who remain sidelined through injury, reducing Mowbray’s depth in midfield and attack.
Rovers are expected to set up with Garrett and Baradji in the middle, while Fevrier, Cantwell and Afolayan support Andri Gudjohnsen in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Toth; Alebiosu, Carter, McLoughlin, Pickering; Garrett, Baradji; Fevrier, Cantwell, Afolayan; Gudjohnsen
Key Stats
- Swansea City have conceded only three goals in six home league fixtures this season.
- Swansea have scored just seven goals in 12 Championship matches.
- Blackburn Rovers have taken 13 points from their last six league games.
- Blackburn have won six points from six away league fixtures this season.
Player to Watch
Andri Gudjohnsen
Andri Gudjohnsen will be the key man for Blackburn as they look to exploit a strong Swansea defence that was badly exposed at QPR. The Icelandic forward will lead the line for the Rovers and will be tasked with the goalscoring burden.
His ability to bring the likes of their other wide forwards into the game, and converting the chances created by Blackburn’s improving attacking unit, will be key in this game
Prediction
Swansea City 1-1 Blackburn Rovers
Swansea need a response after their heavy defeat at QPR, and their strong home defensive record gives them a solid foundation to bounce back from adversity.
However, Blackburn arrive with momentum, confidence and a clear plan under Tony Mowbray, making them capable of taking something from South Wales. The visitors are clearly not the favourites for the win, although they are very much capable of salvaging a draw and a share of points.