Blackburn Rovers vs Derby County Prediction: Rovers survived relegation in the last game

Blackburn Rovers will welcome Derby County at Ewood Park in Game Week 1 of the English Championship. Rovers survived relegation in the last game of the season. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

In the latter half of the previous season, Blackburn seemed to be among the top contenders for relegation due to a series of draws after John Eustace took over. However, they managed to secure 11 points in the final seven games, finishing in 19th place, three points clear of the drop zone. Despite the possibility of Sammie Szmodics leaving, there is optimism surrounding Blackburn as they head into the new season, with key signings like Danny Batth and Andreas Weimann bolstering the squad. Pre-season saw Blackburn winning three out of six matches, with their only defeat coming against Nurnberg.

Pears; Brittain, Carter, Hyam, Pickering; Tronstad, Travis; Rankin-Costello, Dolan, Hedges; Gueye

Derby, on the other hand, earned promotion back to the Championship under Paul Warne's guidance, finishing second in League One. They finished the season strongly with eight wins in 11 games and have been active in the transfer market, bringing in players like Ben Osborn and Kayden Jackson. Despite a three-game losing streak in pre-season, Derby ended on a high with a win against Real Valladolid.

Vickers; Nyambe, Nelson, Cashin, Elder; Ozoh, Goudmijn, Osborn; Barkhuizen, Jackson, Mendez-Laing

Both teams are expected to field strong lineups in their opening match, with Blackburn likely to stick to their recent starting XI. Derby may also maintain continuity in their squad selection. The outcome of the match is uncertain, but Blackburn is backed to start their campaign positively.