Blackburn – Middlesbrough

Blackburn secured a hard‑won 2‑1 victory over Middlesbrough at Ewood Park, moving them up to 15th place with eight points from seven games – two wins, two draws and three defeats, and an even goal tally of ten apiece. The win narrows the gap to the league’s upper half, but Middlesbrough remain comfortably in the top five, sitting on 13 points after six matches (four wins, one draw, one loss) and a +4 goal difference. The result also tips the head‑to‑head balance this season in Blackburn’s favour, as they now hold the sole win in their two encounters. Both sides will now look to build on the outcome, with Blackburn hoping to climb out of the relegation zone and Middlesbrough aiming to regain momentum toward a top‑four push.