Blackburn Rovers and Derby County will face off in their Championship opener at Ewood Park on Friday night.
This eagerly anticipated clash marks the beginning of the 2024-25 season for both teams. Here’s a comprehensive preview, including team news, recent form, and predictions.
Recent Form
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers had a challenging 2023-24 season, narrowly avoiding relegation by securing a 19th place finish.
They managed to collect 11 points from their final seven matches, which proved crucial in maintaining their Championship status.
In their pre-season campaign, Blackburn displayed a mixed performance with three wins out of six matches, including a loss to the German side Nurnberg.
Blackburn Rovers pre-season form: WWLDDW
Derby County
Derby County, under the guidance of Paul Warne, earned promotion from League One with a runners-up finish behind Portsmouth.
The Rams concluded the season strongly, with eight wins from their last eleven matches.
Their pre-season form was less impressive, with three consecutive losses followed by a morale-boosting win against Real Valladolid.
Derby County pre-season form: WWWLLW
Team News
Blackburn Rovers
John Eustace, Blackburn’s manager, faces selection dilemmas with new signings Makhtar Gueye and Yuki Ohashi vying for a starting spot in the attack.
Danny Batth and Andreas Weimann, recent acquisitions, are likely to start on the bench.
Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup: Pears; Brittain, Carter, Hyam, Pickering; Tronstad, Travis; Rankin-Costello, Dolan, Hedges; Gueye.
Derby County
Paul Warne is expected to maintain consistency in his squad, with potential inclusions of Sonny Bradley and Jerry Yates in the starting eleven.
Derby’s squad has been bolstered by the signings of Ben Osborn and Kayden Jackson, who are anticipated to make a significant impact.
Derby County possible starting lineup: Vickers; Nyambe, Nelson, Cashin, Elder; Ozoh, Goudmijn, Osborn; Barkhuizen, Jackson, Mendez-Laing.
Prediction
The opening match of the season is always unpredictable, especially with two well-matched teams.
However, considering Blackburn’s home advantage and their positive end to the last season, they are slightly favored to secure a victory.
Blackburn 
Derby 
