Blackburn Rovers host Middlesbrough at Ewood Park on 22 August 2026, two sides who both came away from Gameweek 1 with something to show and now meet before anyone in the division has a clear read on who is actually good this year.
Tony Mowbray is back at Blackburn for a second spell, having taken charge on 5 June 2026 after replacing Michael O'Neill, while Kim Hellberg (the Norwegian coach who arrived at Middlesbrough on 26 November 2025 following Rob Edwards's departure) is now into his first full season.
Blackburn's opener was a 2-2 draw away at Wolves, where McLoughlin and Andri Gudjohnsen scored to earn a point against a side tipped for the top. Middlesbrough came away with three points at home against Lincoln City, with Will Lankshear scoring twice in a 2-1 win.
Lewis Miller is out until early October with a cruciate ligament injury, the kind of absence that tends to expose a team quickly. He plays full back and losing him forces Blackburn to rearrange their backline against a side whose wide midfielders press full backs high and look to combine with Lankshear in behind. There are no other reported absences for the hosts, while Middlesbrough come in with everyone fit and Hellberg with full choice of selection.
Blackburn tend to sit in a 4-2-3-1 and without Miller keeping that backline organised matters more than usual, with the midfield double pivot doing extra work to cover the right flank. Gudjohnsen leads the line and will fancy his chances against Middlesbrough's high defensive line, while Ryoya Morishita and Todd Cantwell are tasked with finding him in behind.
Middlesbrough play a 4-4-2 built around keeping the ball (around 60 per cent possession) and pressing aggressively high up the pitch, with Lankshear and the wide midfielders making the system work by winning the ball back in dangerous areas and keeping Blackburn pinned.
If Blackburn win second balls and transition quickly they have a real chance of bypassing the press but if Middlesbrough sustain their intensity they have the tools to overload Blackburn's reshuffled right side.
Middlesbrough are unbeaten in their last three meetings with Blackburn, with the most recent ending 0-0 at Ewood Park in March 2026. Historically, Blackburn hold the overall edge with nine wins to Middlesbrough's five across 25 meetings.
Cantwell's delivery to Gudjohnsen could be decisive from dead balls and that combination looks like Blackburn's most reliable route back into the match if things go against them. Middlesbrough's back post runners could exploit a Blackburn backline that is already being reorganised.
Middlesbrough win this 2-1. Blackburn held on for a point at Wolves but losing a first choice full back against a team specifically built to attack down the channels is a serious problem. Lankshear scored twice against Lincoln City and now faces a right side missing its first choice full back. If Hellberg's side can sustain the possession they showed in Gameweek 1, Gudjohnsen and Morishita may never get the ball in the spaces they need. Cantwell's delivery gives Mowbray a dead ball weapon though and Gudjohnsen showed at Wolves that he can score, a set piece is the likeliest route to a Blackburn consolation.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
