Swansea City travel to Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday evening with the opportunity to move into second position in the Championship standings.
Meanwhile, Rovers head into the contest at Ewood Park having finally ended a lengthy wait for a win, a result which has moved the club into 15th position.
Match preview
© Reuters
On the back of their capitulation against Bristol City, Steve Cooper would have naturally had concerns regarding the response of his Swansea players heading into the closing stages of the season.
However, back-to-back 2-1 wins over Stoke City and Middlesbrough courtesy of last-gasp penalties could prove to be the difference between automatic promotion and the playoffs.
Still possessing two matches in hand, there is a window of opportunity for the Welsh side to establish a five-point cushion over the chasing pack.
Cooper will insist that their current scenario means little unless they can maintain their winning streak, a task made tougher with their next three fixtures taking place away from the Liberty Stadium.
Although three of his last four goals have come from the spot, Andre Ayew is now up to 13 strikes for the season, a necessary contribution with Swansea still struggling for goals from open play.
© Reuters
Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray would have felt that having top goalscorer Adam Armstrong unavailable for selection at the weekend would hinder their chances of defeating Millwall.
The absence of the striker had the opposite effect, however, as Bradley Dack and Sam Gallagher helped Rovers get the better of the Lions, ending a seven-match winless streak in the process.
Now sitting 11 points above the relegation zone, Mowbray will have fewer concerns about a battle to avoid the drop, freeing up his talented squad to express themselves during their final 12 matches.
While finishing in the top six is now highly unlikely, Mowbray is aware that results need to improve in the long term at what could be perceived to be a crossroads for him at Ewood Park.
- L
- L
- L
- D
- L
- W
- W
- L
- W
- L
- W
- W
Team News
© Reuters
Mowbray may opt against taking risks with Armstrong's hamstring injury after the performance of his Blackburn side at The Den.
Ryan Nyambe and Harvey Elliott could return to the team in place of Joe Rankin-Costello and Ben Brereton respectively.
Jamal Lowe is in line for a recall to the Swansea XI after dropping down to the substitutes' bench against Middlesbrough.
Jake Bidwell could also come back into the side at left wing-back, replacing Ryan Manning.
Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:
Kaminski; Rankin-Costello, Lenihan, Harwood-Bellis, Douglas; Buckley, Trybull, Dack; Brereton, Dolan, Gallagher
Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Woodman; Naughton, Cabango, Guehi; Roberts, Fulton, Grimes, Bidwell; Hourihane; Ayew, Lowe
We say: Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Swansea City
Having recorded a much-needed victory at the weekend, the pressure has been lifted off this talented Blackburn side. With that in mind, we are backing Rovers to take advantage of facing opponents who will recognise the importance of avoiding defeat at Ewood Park.
Top tip
Darren Plant
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Blackburn Rovers win with a probability of 36.16%. A win for Swansea City had a probability of 35.62% and a draw had a probability of 28.2%.
The most likely scoreline for a Blackburn Rovers win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.45%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (7.7%) and 2-0 (6.68%). The likeliest Swansea City win was 0-1 (11.35%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.22%). The actual scoreline of 1-1 was predicted with a 13.2% likelihood.
