Blackburn vs Aston Villa Predictions

Blackburn have been left picking up the pieces over the international break after a 4-1 defeat to Bristol City earlier this month. That heavy defeat was a tough blow to take for Rovers, who had made an excellent start following promotion from League One. Will they respond to that setback by extending Aston Villa’s struggles? The beaten play-off finalists have hit a tough run of form, and they head in to this weekend desperate to turn around their troubles. However, Blackburn have more than proved themselves difficult hosts so far this season.

The home side have done remarkably well since getting back in to the Championship, with a lot of their players stepping up with ease. That’s brought them the tag of dark horses for the play-offs, but a top half finish would really be a great result for Rovers this term. They can get things back on track with a win over Villa here, and that looks possible given the struggles at Villa Park this term.

The away side have been given hope of recapturing John Terry, after he turned down Spartak Moscow. On current form, Villa could use him. Five matches have passed since their last victory, and that last win was a narrow success against Yeovil. Villa were also beaten 4-1 before the international break, losing heavily at Sheffield United. That followed a 1-0 defeat against Burton Albion in the cup, so overall it wasn’t the best week for Steve Bruce. Pressure is growing on the former Birmingham manager, as he looks to haul Villa up the table.

Villa’s run hasn’t come down to a tough fixture list, they’ve just been making mistakes at key times. While they impressed in the 2-2 draw with Brentford, a 1-1 draw at home to Reading is a poor result. The problem for Villa so far has been clean sheets, as they’ve not yet kept one in the league this season. The Villains have seen both teams score in every game, and that’s likely to continue against Rovers.

The hosts have more than enough going forward to take advantage of Villa’s defensive concerns. Rovers have shipped more than their fair share of goals of late, after their heavy loss last time out, and after conceding to League Two Lincoln in their last home game. With the hosts playing an attacking brand of football, and Villa looking really open, we think both teams to score is the best bet on this clash.