Southend United
- Rochdale are on 88 points while Southend United have 55 in the National League 2025/2026 standings.
- Southend United have won eight of their 16 home games in the National League 2025/2026, drawing five and losing three.
- But their winless run of three matches, two draws and a defeat, at home could be about to extend at Roots Hall when they host the runaway league leaders Rochdale.
- Southend’s disciplined back three and wing-backs that push high and wide create an interesting contrast as the side like to overload the flanks and come at teams from wide areas.
- The hosts have averaged 1.75 goals per home league game in 2025/2026 and concede just 0.75 per home game, while they are currently winless in their last three at Roots Hall.
Rochdale
- Rochdale have won four of their last five National League games, drawing one, while Southend United have won one of their last five (D3, L1).
- Rochdale have a formidable away record in the National League 2025/2026, winning 12 of their 17 away matches, drawing three and losing two.
- The Dale are just too good for the majority of the league and have got even better in recent weeks, registering four wins and a draw from their last five games.
- Rochdale are a fluid 3-2-5 system that can be patient in possession and create enough wide overloads to carve openings through stubborn defensive structures.
- McNulty has done a brilliant job to get Rochdale to the top of the league and his ability to dictate the tempo and change the system has been key.
Head-to-Head
- Rochdale have won two of the last three head-to-head meetings between these two sides while Southend United have won the other.
- There were no draws in that sequence and the fact that the home side have failed to win their last home fixture against Rochdale suggests the visitors can do enough to edge this close game.
Key Players
- Emmanuel Dieseruvwe
- Emmanuel Dieseruvwe is Rochdale’s talisman, as he is the National League’s top scorer with 22 goals in 30 appearances, but has six in his side’s last five matches.
- Andrew Dallas
- Andrew Dallas leads the line for Southend United with 12 goals in 31 National League appearances, of which he has two of the Shrimpers’ last five.
Betting Insights
- Rochdale are rated slightly shorter at 2.4, while the odds for Southend United to get a result are 2.75 with the draw available at 3.25.
- Under 2.5 goals, which is priced at 1.84, could be the way to go as both teams are rock solid at the back and average under two goals per game in home and away matches respectively.
Prediction
- We’re going with the leaders to continue their great form with a win here at 2.4 as they are much superior to Southend in every aspect of their play.
- With Dallas’ movement and finishing likely to be key, we think this could be a very low-scoring affair with the visitors’ clinical striker likely to be on the scoreboard.
