Match Pack: Saints vs Blackburn
It’s another quick turnaround in the second instalment of a St Mary’s doubleheader as Southampton gear up for the visit of Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday night. Get clued up ahead of the game with our Match Pack...
THE MATCH
Southampton vs Blackburn Rovers
Sky Bet Championship
St Mary’s Stadium
Tuesday 14th April, 8pm BST
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Josh Smith
Assistants: Sam Lewis and Callum Gough
Fourth Official: Thomas Kirk
THE KITS
Saints will be in their traditional home colours of red-and-white-striped shirts, black shorts and white socks. The visitors will be in their change strip of all gold.
TICKETS
The game is on general sale to all supporters, with tickets from the original date still valid. This match is a Category A fixture, and adult tickets start from £30.
LIVE COVERAGE
The action will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Football, with coverage getting under way from 7.30pm BST.
Saints Play match passes are available to supporters in certain overseas territories.
THE PROGRAMME
The matchday programme is available to order online, as well as from the various sellers around St Mary’s.
This double edition is the same programme that was sold at Saturday’s game against Derby – that’s two in one for the usual price of £4.
Inside you’ll find skipper Jack Stephens tackle our A-Z of Football feature, while there’s also Tonda Eckert’s notes, the latest from our Women’s and Academy teams, and coverage of both visiting sides.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Saints’ comeback victory over Derby on Saturday extended their unbeaten run to 17 games in all competitions, strengthening their position in the play-offs and keeping alive the team’s hopes of automatic promotion.
Blackburn are five unbeaten themselves and proving to be a tough nut to crack in recent weeks.
Roves are four points clear of the drop zone with four games to play, but still need points to secure their Championship survival.
A favour from their south coast rivals against Ipswich in the only other midweek fixture could see Tonda Eckert’s side move within three points of the Tractor Boys in second.
TEAM NEWS
Saints: Tonda Eckert declared the fitness of his Saints side “as strong as we can be at this part of the season” following Saturday’s win over Derby.
Finn Azaz will need to be assessed after being substituted against the Rams with a knock.
Blackburn: Scott Wharton and Sidnei Tavares are both sidelined for the visitors, taking Michael O’Neill’s growing list of absentees to “12 or 13” according to the head coach.
O’Neill previously said he considers his team’s revised fixture schedule “a little bit unfair” after this game was brought forward due to Saints’ participation in the Emirates FA Cup semi-finals next weekend, with Blackburn also playing on Friday night this week against title-chasing Coventry.
THE MANAGERS
Tonda Eckert: “I need to ask Shea [Charles] a little bit about the gaffer! What he’s definitely brought is a lot of experience of how to manage a team, how to address things in moments of difficulty, and you can see that. I think he came in very strong in his first game and they’ve been on a good run of form, so it will be a big, big challenge for us.
“I think we always have to assess a little bit, but I think in general we are as strong as we can be at this part of the season – there are not many players at the moment that are struggling fitness-wise.”
Michael O’Neill: "It's tight, we're on 48 points. Everyone talks about 50 points but the teams beneath us winning gives us a four-point cushion with four to play.
"We have a tough week but it's the hand we have been given so we'll try and take something from the games. I think we're at that stage of the season, the Championship, where anything's possible.”
ONES TO WATCH
Leo Scienza: Scienza moved on to seven goals for the season with a trademark curling effort against Derby, winning another Player of the Match award from the fans on the Saints App for his performance.
The Brazilian continues to be Saints’ creative spark, whether that’s from the start or as a substitute, and now has 15 goal contributions in his first season in English football.
Mathias Jørgensen: A January signing from Bodø/Glimt where he was playing Champions League football, Jørgensen’s goals have been key to Blackburn’s resurgence.
The Danish striker has five goals in 17 Championship appearances, including match-winning braces at QPR and Millwall.
TOP SCORERS
Saints
Goals:
Azaz 11
Stewart 8
Scienza 7
Assists:
Scienza, Azaz 8
Fellows 7
Manning 5
Blackburn
Goals:
Ohashi 8
Gudjohnsen 7
Cantwell, Jørgensen 5
Assists:
Morishita 8
Alebiousu 4
Cantwell 3
FORM GUIDE
Saints
Derby (h) SBC: W 2-1 (Scienza, Harwood-Bellis)
Wrexham (a) SBC: W 5-1 (Matsuki, Downes, Larin, Stewart, Azaz)
Arsenal (h) FAC: W 2-1 (Stewart, Charles)
Oxford United (h) SBC: W 2-0 (Larin, Charles)
Norwich (h) SBC: W 1-0 (Azaz)
Blackburn
Stoke (a) SBC: D 1-1 (Forshaw)
West Brom (h) SBC: D 0-0
Birmingham (a) SBC: W 1-0 (Cantwell)
Middlesbrough (h) SBC: D 0-0
Millwall (a) SBC: W 2-1 (Jørgensen 2)
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 49
Saints wins: 20
Draws: 11
Blackburn wins: 18
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Oct 2025: Blackburn 2-1 Saints Championship (Alebiosu, Gudjohnsen)
Apr 2024: Blackburn 0-0 Saints Championship
Dec 2023: Saints 4-0 Blackburn Championship (Edozie, S. Armstrong, Alcaraz, Mara)
Apr 2005: Blackburn 3-0 Saints Premier League
Aug 2004: Saints 3-2 Blackburn Premier League (Phillips, A. Svensson, Beattie pen)
KEEP UP TO DATE
Not able to make it to St Mary's this weekend? Download the official Saints app to follow live in-match updates and follow us on social media for further updates and exclusive content:
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Join us under the lights at St Mary's as Saints take on Blackburn in the latest instalment of the Championship promotion race (8pm BST). Tickets start from £30 for Adults and £20 for Juniors.
