Rotherham United
- Rotherham United FC have won only two of their last five games, drawn one and lost two, so their form is mixed, although it has been better at the New York Stadium where they have taken one win, one draw and one defeat in their last three.
- Their last two results saw Rotherham thrash Exeter City 4-0 away but fall 0-3 at home to Cardiff City, underlining their inconsistency.
- Matt Hamshaw has done a solid job since taking over as manager in March 2025, focusing on the basics and results in a pragmatic rebuilding programme.
- Rotherham have deployed a 3-5-2 or 3-4-1-2 system, depending on the game, which gets wing-backs wide and forwards to get in behind teams and makes the most of their set-pieces and direct balls into the box.
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Recent stats:
- Home record: 5-5-5.
- Home goals: 18 at home (1.20 average).
Doncaster Rovers
- Doncaster Rovers are two points ahead of Rotherham, in 20th spot in League One, with 33 points from 30 games to Rotherham’s 31 from 29.
- Doncaster Rovers have a bit more going for them at the moment with three wins and two losses in their last five across all competitions.
- Grant McCann has brought a bit of tactical flexibility to the club since taking over in May 2023 and there is a clear intent to play forward and not just sit deep.
- A typical line-up would be 4-2-3-1, but they can also play with a back three and overload the flanks with wide runners and a creative core.
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Recent stats:
- Doncaster Rovers have won two and lost two of their last four away games.
- Doncaster Rovers have scored 13 goals away from home in League One 2025-2026 (0.81 average).
Head-to-Head
Doncaster won the previous League One derby between these two sides 1-0 at home five months ago.
Key Players
- Owen Bailey is a star for Rovers with 11 goals in 30 League One appearances this season, including three in the last six.
- Joe Powell, who has three assists and seven goals in his last five appearances, has been the spark for their offense.
- Sam Nombe is a good target man with six goals in 14 League One games.
Betting Insights
- A home win for Rotherham is available at 2.88, but Doncaster are the slight favorites at 2.4 with the draw 3.25.
- Under 2.5 goals is 1.85 and should definitely be considered as the main bet for this game.
- There is no value in the moneyline markets.
Prediction
- We see a similar result to the previous derby happening here, although we’re going to play it safer on the odds.
- Doncaster’s slightly better recent form and the fact they are favourites for this away match give them a marginal edge to nick a tight matchup.
