Blackburn Rovers vs Middlesbrough Prediction: Both teams are sitting in the second half of the table

Blackburn Rovers will welcome Middlesbrough at Ewood Park in Gameweek 6 of the English Championship. Both teams are sitting in the second half of the table. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

Blackburn's impressive 8-0 win against Harrogate Town in the EFL Cup suggested they were ready to continue their momentum at Plymouth Argyle. However, they were defeated 3-0 at Home Park, with two goals conceded in the final 13 minutes. This result means they have only won one of their last four league matches, despite their initial victory over West Bromwich Albion on the opening day. Currently, in 13th place, manager Jon Dahl Tomasson understands the importance of finding consistency in the upcoming weeks. While Blackburn recorded a goal glut against a League Two team, they have struggled to score in the league, leading them to sign Semir Telalovic from Borussia Monchengladbach to address this issue. Overall, if Blackburn wants to compete for a playoff spot, they must improve in all areas of the pitch, as they did throughout most of the 2022-23 season.

Pears; Brittain, Carter, Hyam, Pickering; Travis, Wharton; Hedges, Szmodics, Dolan; Gallagher

Middlesbrough must view a top-six finish as a minimum requirement considering their previous success under Michael Carrick last season. However, their start to the current campaign has been disastrous, with only one point from five matches and just three goals scored. Although a similar poor start was experienced under different management twelve months ago, it seems that all the progress made under Carrick's leadership has been lost. The recent 2-0 defeat at home to Queens Park Rangers, who have generally been underperforming under Gareth Ainsworth, highlights the significant gap that Middlesbrough currently face. Carrick will be eagerly seeking a positive response from his new squad, as he has had more time to work with them.

Dieng; McNair, Fry, Lenihan, Engel; Howson, O'Brien; Silvera, Greenwood, Jones; Lath

After spending a substantial amount of time training, Carrick anticipates that when Boro resumes play, they will do so with enhanced confidence compared to before the international break. However, it seems that Blackburn has a higher likelihood of winning this match, although it is expected to be a closely contested game. We expect home side to win with over 2.5 goals in the game.