Blackburn vs Nottingham Forest Prediction & Preview: Forest to leave Ewood with a point

Blackburn were surprisingly beaten by Luton at the weekend, and Tony Mowbray will be looking for an immediate response from his side on Tuesday night. 

Nottingham Forest have had an extra 24hours rest, and will be looking to continue their fine form on the road. Can the Tricky Trees leave Lancashire with all three points?

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Blackburn vs Nottingham Forest Preview – 01/10/2019: Championship

Prior to their defeat against Luton at the weekend, Blackburn were one of the strongest home sides in the division. Tony Mowbray’s men had barely put a foot wrong at Ewood Park, and hadn’t conceded a goal since their opening day defeat to Charlton. It was a worringly insipid performance from Rovers, and fans will be hoping that the men in blue and white can bounce back from that defeat.

The hosts have a decent defence with Derrick Williams and Darragh Lenihan running a tight ship so far this campaign. They also have plenty of steel in the centre of the park, although they struggled to deal with Jacob Butterfield and Izzy Brown at the weekend. Forest have a number of dangermen and Sabri Lamouchi will be hoping that his side can be the second side in the space of four days to leave with maximum points.

Forest won under the lights at the Bet365 on Friday night although they were given a helping hand by Jack Butland. The Tricky Trees have now beaten Fulham, Swansea and Stoke on the road, and have picked up a point at Elland Road. Although they lost Michael Dawson to injury in the first half in Staffordshire, they will still be difficult to break down and the contributions of Samba Sow and Ben Watson have not gone unnoticed.

 

Where Will This Game be Won?

The centre of the park is the place to keep an eye on. For Blackburn, Bradley Johnson and Lewis Travis have formed a decent partnership whilst Lewis Holtby has also impressed since arriving at Ewood Park. The latter has played just 49 minutes so far and is clearly still getting back to full fitness, however he’s already averaged 3 tackles per match.

For Forest, Samba Sow has been an excellent addition to the side, with the Malian averaging 4.4 tackles per game. Ben Watson is a tenacious midfielder by trade and has the ability to shield the defence. He also is able to hold onto the ball and move it away from the danger area.

It’s set to be an intriguing battle in the centre of the park.

 

Defences on Top

Prior to their blemish against Luton, Blackburn had kept three clean sheets at home with Derrick Williams being the star of the show. The defender has already picked up two MOTM awards, whilst alongside central defensive partner Darragh Lenihan, the pair have combined for an average of 8 clearances per match.

Jack Robinson had a decent game on his return to the side at the weekend, and he averages three tackles per match. It remains to be seen whether Michael Dawson is fit enough to make the bench, although he looks doubtful. With Michael Hefele also on the sidelines, Forest must find a suitable partner for Joe Worrall. Either way, the midfield should do enough to help out and enable the back-line to enjoy a quiet evening.

 

Low Scoring Draw

Mowbray will ask his side to get back to basics for this fixture, and they will be hoping for a clean sheet. Forest conceded twice for just the second time this season on Friday night, although they are still incredibly hard to penetrate. There isn’t much between these two sides, and Forest just don’t lose many games on the road.

The Draw is 23/10 with Ladbrokes, and that looks a decent bet.

 

Blackburn vs Nottingham Forest Betting Tip

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Read More: See the rest of this week’s football match previews from the EFL matches.

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