Ben Brereton Diaz predicts if Blackburn Rovers can stay up | OneFootball

The former Rovers forward has predicted whether Blackburn can survive in the Championship.

After a honeymoon period with Michael O’Neill in charge, Blackburn Rovers have fallen to back-to-back defeats as their Championship relegation fears remain a reality.

Rovers had originally got back on the winning trail after 10 second-tier games without a victory by winning 3-1 away at Queens Park Rangers, and then followed it up with a last-gasp winner in a Lancashire derby over Preston North End.

But since then, Blackburn have been brought back down to earth with a couple of disappointing defeats, starting with a 2-1 loss against Bristol City, which saw Rovers squander their early lead through Yuki Ohashi, as goals from Emil Rijs and Scott Twine turned the tide at Ewood Park.

And it was a similar story at Pride Park last weekend against Derby County. Blackburn had got themselves in front on the road right on the stroke of half-time through Hayden Carter, but strikes in the second period from Ben Brereton Diaz, Matt Clarke and Rhian Brewster ensured O’Neill’s men slumped to a second straight defeat under his tenure.

It keeps Blackburn 20th on 38 points, although results did go in their favour as both West Brom and Leicester City slipped to defeats themselves, although Oxford United could be looking to wriggle out of trouble following their important win over the Baggies.

As well as losing to Derby, Blackburn would have felt further heartache that a former Rovers player netted against them in Brereton Diaz.

The Chile international pulled the Rams back level in the contest 10 minutes into the second half, sparking Derby’s revival and comeback as they eye up a place in the play-offs.

But despite his allegiance to Derby, he still has a soft spot for Blackburn, where he played some of his best football in the second-tier, and is understandably concerned about Rovers’ relegation fears.

And while speaking to BBC Radio Derby and reported by the Lancashire Telegraph, the 26-year-old has backed Blackburn to secure their Championship safety based on their first-half display alone at Pride Park.

Ben Brereton Diaz backs Blackburn Rovers to survive based on Derby County showing

Speaking to BBC Radio Derby and reported by the Lancashire Telegraph, Derby County forward Ben Brereton Diaz has backed his old club Blackburn Rovers to secure Championship safety come the end of the season based off their first-half performance against the Rams last weekend.

Brereton Diaz said: "It was a fiesty game, everyone on the pitch wants to win, that's why we play.

"We have a lot of players who played for Blackburn. Myself, Trav, Szmodics, Dion, and more so, there was a bit extra in the game today.

"We definitely wanted to win. It was a good game. I thought they played really well first half. They have got some really good players.

"Hopefully, they can keep going. I think they have got enough."

Brereton Diaz added: "At half-time, we addressed the fact that we were a bit sloppy with the ball and half a yard off everything. Second half, we put a marker down.

"It's a three-game week, it's a lot of games, but the lads stuck at it, and we showed our energy in the last 45 minutes. The subs came on and made a difference, so we're delighted to get the three points."

Blackburn Rovers can pull clear of the dropzone in a season-defining week

While Blackburn Rovers will be bitterly disappointed to have dropped leads against Bristol City and Derby County to lose, they were against two sides firmly in the race for the play-offs, with Rovers having crucial games to come that will define their season.

Much of Blackburn’s campaign could rest on their next two fixtures, in fact, as they first host Portsmouth at Ewood Park this coming weekend, while the following midweek sees them make the trip to the Kassam Stadium to face a resurgent Oxford United.

And if Blackburn can secure at least four, if not six points from those two encounters, then that would see them drag themselves away from the likes of West Brom and Leicester City, who are showing little signs of getting victories on the board themselves at the moment.

Blackburn just have to keep the points ticking over against the sides they need to, and after being so competitive against two teams who have aspirations of reaching the Premier League, you would surely think they’re good enough to get back to winning ways against two relegation rivals.