Blackburn Rovers will travel to the Ashton Gate Stadium to face Bristol City in round-18 of the EFL Championship. The visitors carry the momentum into this game and are ranked in the top half of the table. Bristol City’s recent run of five losses in the previous six games has dropped the team into the bottom half of the league table.
Bristol City suffered a 2-3 defeat against Coventry City in the previous round. Nigel Pearson’s men attempted nine shots and had a high accuracy rate of 66.67%. The expected goal rate of the team was 2.56, and six shots were attempted from inside the opposition’s penalty box. Chris Martin and Andreas Weimann were on the scoresheet for Bristol City.
Bristol City have scored 19 goals this season, and the team averages more than one goal per game. Their problem this season is the defense, and they have conceded 27 goals so far this season. The above chart shows that Bristol City have the highest expected goal against rate in the league. Goalkeeper Daniel Bentley has just kept one clean sheet throughout this season and has made 56 saves. The team has conceded 17 goals in the last seven games.
Andy King, Matthew James, Nathan Baker, Tommy Conway, Robbie Cundy, Antoine Semenyo are unavailable for the Robins due to their respective injuries. Andreas Weimann has been the top scorer for them with seven goals and also has two assists to his name. His attacking partner Chris Martin has scored five goals along with three assists.
Blackburn Rovers overcame their 0-7 defeat against Fulham with a 3-1 victory over Sheffield United in the previous round. The Rovers attempted 12 shots with a shot accuracy rate of 58.33%. Two goals were scored from inside the opposition’s 6-yard box, while one was scored from outside the opposition’s penalty box. The players attempted an equal number of shots from inside and outside the opposition’s penalty area.
The Rovers are one of the top goal-scoring teams in the EFL Championship and have scored 28 goals with an expected goal rate of 24.18. The above chart shows the expected goal rate created from the centre. Blackburn Rovers have the third-highest expected goal rate from the centre. The team has attempted 166 shots, and 74 have been on target.
Brereton Diaz has been the main man for Blackburn Rovers this season. The Chilean international has scored 13 goals, including a goal in the previous game. Sam Gallagher is the second-highest goalscorer with five goals, and he has three assists to his name.
Daniel Ayala and Harry Pickering were spotted training with the first team, and they remain in contention to start the match. Ayala has missed the last three games, while Pickering is out since the last four games. Jan Paul van Hecke will miss the match due to suspension.
Blackburn Rovers also have a leaky defense and have conceded one goal less than the opposition this season. They carry the momentum into this game and will look to earn a victory that can take them into the playoff positions. Bristol City will look to improve their defense and return to winning ways in the league.
