Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn Rovers — Match Preview
A tense Boxing Day relegation six-pointer awaits at Hillsborough on Friday, 26 December 2025. Sheffield Wednesday are enduring a season from hell, sitting rock bottom (24th) with -9 points after further deductions and just one win all season. The Owls suffered a 3–1 defeat to Ipswich last time out and are desperate to give their long-suffering fans some festive cheer. Blackburn Rovers, sitting 20th with 25 points, arrive in South Yorkshire with renewed confidence after snapping a winless run with a crucial 2–0 victory over Millwall. A win for Rovers would put significant daylight between themselves and the bottom three, while Wednesday are simply fighting for pride and survival.
Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn Rovers — Match Info
- Competition: EFL Championship (Matchday 22)
- Venue: Hillsborough, Sheffield (Capacity: 39,732)
- Date: Friday, 26 December 2025
- Kickoff: 15:00 GMT
- Referee: TBC (EFL Appointment)
Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn Rovers — Match Stakes
Sheffield Wednesday (24th — -9 pts):
- Win → Moves to -6 pts; purely about restoring pride and ending a 6-game winless streak.
- Draw → Another point on the board, but does little to change the grim relegation picture.
- Loss → Morale hits a new low; the gap to safety becomes mathematically daunting even before the New Year.
Blackburn Rovers (20th — 25 pts):
- Win → Moves to 28 pts; could climb as high as 16th depending on other results.
- Draw → Keeps the unbeaten run going (2 games); a solid result away from home.
- Loss → Dragged back into the immediate danger zone; undoes the good work from the Millwall win.
Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn Rovers — Team News
Sheffield Wednesday:
- Chalobah N. — Out (Hamstring Injury)
- Kobacki O. — Out (Groin Injury)
- Bernard D. — Out (Knee Injury)
- Cooper L. — Questionable (Knock vs Ipswich)
- Charles P. — Questionable (Returning from shoulder injury – likely bench)
Blackburn Rovers:
- Toth B. — Out (Knee Injury)
- Carter H. — Out (Calf Injury)
- Wharton S. — Out (Achilles Injury)
- Kargbo A. — Out (Calf Injury)
- Cantwell T. — Available (Returned to bench last game; pushing for a start)
Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn Rovers — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
Sheffield Wednesday
- 20/12 — 1–3 vs Ipswich (Championship)
- 16/12 — 0–3 vs Derby (Championship)
- 10/12 — 1–1 vs Watford (Championship)
- 29/11 — 2–3 vs Preston (Championship)
- 27/11 — 0–1 vs Millwall (Championship)
Blackburn Rovers
- 20/12 — 2–0 vs Millwall (Championship)
- 13/12 — 1–2 vs Portsmouth (Championship)
- 10/12 — 1–1 vs Oxford Utd (Championship)
- 03/12 — 1–1 vs Ipswich (Championship)
- 29/11 — 1–1 vs Wrexham (Championship)
Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn Rovers — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)
- 09/04/2025 — Blackburn 2–2 Sheffield Wednesday
- 11/12/2024 — Sheffield Wednesday 0–1 Blackburn
- 21/04/2024 — Blackburn 1–3 Sheffield Wednesday
- 02/12/2023 — Sheffield Wednesday 3–1 Blackburn
- 20/04/2021 — Sheffield Wednesday 1–0 Blackburn
Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn Rovers — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
Sheffield Wednesday (3-4-1-2)
Horvath; Valery, Iorfa, Famewo; Palmer, Ingelsson, Fusire, Amass; Bannan; Cadamarteri, McNeill
Blackburn Rovers (3-4-1-2)
Pears; Miller, McLoughlin, Pratt; Alebiosu, Forshaw, Gardner-Hickman, Pickering; Cantwell; Ohashi, Gudjohnsen
Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn Rovers — Impact Bench
Sheffield Wednesday: J. Lowe (Experience), Ugbo (Physical threat)
Blackburn Rovers: Hedges (Creativity), Morishita (Energy)
Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn Rovers — Tactical Analysis
Sheffield Wednesday
Danny Rohl (or current manager) is running out of options. The 3-4-1-2 system relies heavily on Barry Bannan pulling the strings in the #10 role, but the defense (-27 Goal Difference) is leaking goals at an alarming rate. At home, they must attack, but this leaves them vulnerable to Blackburn’s transitions. The pace of young Charlie McNeill is their best outlet.
Blackburn Rovers
Rovers will look to exploit Wednesday’s fragile confidence. The partnership of Yuki Ohashi and Andri Gudjohnsen is starting to click, with both scoring recently. Blackburn’s wing-backs will push high to pin Wednesday back. With Todd Cantwell likely returning to the fold, they have the creative quality to unlock a defense that has conceded 43 goals this season.
Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn Rovers — Key Battles
- Bannan vs Forshaw — battle of the veteran midfielders
- McNeill vs McLoughlin — pace vs positioning
- Gudjohnsen vs Iorfa — physical duel in the box
- Horvath vs Ohashi — GK needs a big performance to keep Rovers out
Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn Rovers — Spotlight Players
Sheffield Wednesday — Bailey Cadamarteri
The young striker has shown flashes of potential in a dismal season. His energy and willingness to run the channels will be vital if Wednesday are to get anything from this game.
Blackburn Rovers — Andri Gudjohnsen
The Icelandic forward is in fine form, scoring in the win against Millwall. His physical presence and finishing ability make him the dangerman Wednesday must stop.
Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn Rovers — Prediction
Sheffield Wednesday 1–2 Blackburn Rovers
Wednesday’s wretched run looks set to continue. While Hillsborough will try to rally the troops for Boxing Day, the defensive frailties are too deep-rooted. Blackburn have found some stability and possess a strike force in Gudjohnsen and Ohashi that should have too much quality for the league’s worst defense.
Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn Rovers — Betting Insights
- Blackburn to Win — Value Bet
- Over 2.5 Goals — Likely (Wednesday concede heavily)
- Both Teams to Score — YES
Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn Rovers — Where to Watch
- UK: Sky Sports+ (Red Button) / iFollow
- International: iFollow Rovers / Owls TV
Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn Rovers — FAQs
Q: When is the Sheffield Wednesday vs Blackburn match?
A: The match kicks off on Friday, 26 December 2025, at 15:00 GMT.
Q: Is Sheffield Wednesday really on -9 points?
A: Yes, due to significant points deductions earlier in the season.
Q: Is Todd Cantwell playing for Blackburn?
A: He returned to the bench in the last match and is available for selection, possibly as a starter.
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