Preview
Luton Town have already secured a top-four place in the Championship, meaning they will have a home second leg in the play-off semi-finals. As such, Rob Edwards’s men don’t have much to fight apart from a guaranteed third-place finish on the table ahead of Middlesbrough.
Blackburn Rovers, meanwhile, currently sit ninth on the table and need at least a win and a draw in their remaining games to have any chance of making it into the playoffs.
With no wins in their last five, Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side will have to make it right against Luton on Monday night at their own perch. The Hatters are on a high of beating Middlesbrough 2-1 in their latest fixture, and are unbeaten in 12 games on the bounce.
Last 5 games
Blackburn Rovers: 9th
Loss: 0-1 vs Burnley
Draw: 1-1 vs Preston
Draw: 1-1 vs Coventry City
Draw: 0-0 vs Hull City
Draw: 2-2 Huddersfield Town
Loss: 0-2 vs Norwich City
Luton Town: 3rd
Win: 2-1 vs Middlesbrough
Draw: 1-1 vs Reading
Win: 2-0 vs Rotherham
Win: 3-1 vs Blackpool
Draw: 0-0 vs Millwall
Win: 2-0 vs Watford
Head to Head
Luton are unbeaten in the last three meetings between the two sides, having won the last affair 2-0 in September. Carlton Morris and Reece Burke scored in a game that Blackburn dominated with regards to share of the possession (62%), but could only muster a single shot on target.
Team News
Tyler Marton and John Buckley are out for the rest of the season for Blackburn.
Luton’s lineup could see a number of changes with the play-off on the horizon. Dan Potts, Reece Burke (one of the goal-scorers in the win over Blackburn), and Gabriel Osho are all unavailable.
Predicted Lineups
Blackburn Robers: 4-3-3
Pears (GK), Rankin-Costello, Carter, Hyam, Pickering, Wharton, Travis, Dack, Hedges, Szmodics, Brereton
Luton Town: 3-5-2
Horvath (GK), Bell, Lockyer, Bradley, Johnson, Lansbury, Clark, Berry, Drameh, Adebayo, Morris
Players to Watch
Ben Brereton Díaz
The Chile international has once again enjoyed a prolific season, having scored 12 league goals so far. The 24-year-old is understood to have agreed to join Villarreal on a free transfer at the end of the season and will be hoping to give the fans one last gift with top performance for a play-off spot.
Cody Drameh
Drameh, who’s on loan from Leeds United, has been one of Luton’s stand-out players in their run. With a season rating of 7.24, he’s likely to be the difference-maker in the tie. But with play-offs in mind, it won’t surprise many if he finds himself on the bench.
Where Will The Game Be Decided?
Blackburn’s best bet is hoping Luton field a much-changed lineup. Their back three have kept 19 clean sheets so far, but a change or two could open some gaps in the backline for Diaz or any other Blackburn forward to sneak a goal or two.
If Edwards decides to retain his defensive stars, expect a one-sided affair. Tom Lockyer, Sonny Bradley, and Amari’i Bell limited free-scoring Middlesbrough to just one shot on target, and are unlikely to struggle much against Blackburn forwards.
After the win over Boro, the Luton boss talked about what his side are going through during the tail end of the season when they’ve one eye on a bigger prize. He said: “Psychologically the games are quite difficult, the next couple of games as well. We’ve got to try and keep that momentum. We want to keep trying to win, but when those play-off games come, there will be I’m sure another per cent or two.”
Despite winning all three points, Edwards felt his side could do better against Middlesbrough. Now, Blackburn will hope they don’t end up on the target of a ‘better performance’.
The Blue and Whites need four points in their last two remaining games. As such, it’s all about game management for the side. A resilient display to get a point against Luton and then an all-out approach at sixth-place Millwall to win all three points to steal their much sought-after play-off place would be far from a poor tactic.
Predictions
Edwards will have to decide what he wants before the game – a guaranteed third-place or a rested squad for the playoffs. If he picks the former, then I’m anticipating Luton’s fifth win in their seven Championship outings. Blackburn Rovers 0-2 Luton Town.
Kick-off Time
The kickoff is at 16:30 GMT Monday at Ewood Park.
