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– Blackburn hit five past Sunderland on Monday in the Championship
– There have been at least two goals scored in Southampton’s last 15 games
– Recommended bet: Over 3.5 goals
Southampton will look to bounce back from their heartbreaking defeat to Ipswich when they travel to Blackburn on Saturday in the Championship.
Russell Martin’s men were leading 2-1 at one point at Portman Road, only for Ipswich to find a way back and score a winner in stoppage time as they moved back to the top of the Championship table.
The Saints are still play-off bound this season, barring a major collapse, while hosts Blackburn have some work to do to avoid relegation.
They improved their chances of avoiding the drop by beating Sunderland 5-1 on Monday, and we could be in for another thrilling battle this weekend.
Team news
John Eustace will hope Harry Leonard can return from a knock, while the game comes too soon for Arnor Sigurdsson, but he should be able to return in the coming weeks.
John Fleck and Harry Pickering both have calf injuries, and they are not expected to return until later in the month.
Southampton right-back James Bree is suspended after being red-carded in the defeat to Ipswich, while Ross Stewart and Juan Larios remain sidelined with muscle injuries.
The stats
Blackburn’s emphatic win over Sunderland was their first in the Championship since February, meaning they have won just one of their previous 11 games in all competitions.
At Ewood Park, Blackburn are winless in five in all competitions, but they did score in four of those games.
Southampton won the previous meeting between the two clubs 4-0 in December, but they failed to win either of their games over the Easter weekend.
The Saints have a solid record away from home in the Championship, losing just two of their previous 15 on the road, although two of those have come in their last four on their travels.
Prediction
Blackburn’s recent win should have given the dressing room a huge lift in their fight to avoid the drop, and they are five points above the relegation zone ahead of kick-off.
While they have only scored four goals in their last five at home, their 5-1 success against Sunderland will have lifted the pressure on Eustace’s side.
Southampton’s desire for three points is just as strong as Blackburn’s and they have scored in their last 16 on the road in the Championship.
Over 3.5 goals has landed in three of their last four, and this should be another entertaining battle between two of the biggest clubs in the second tier.
