On the return to action after the recent international break, two sides level on four points at the bottom end of the Championship table will do battle on Saturday, as Huddersfield Town welcome Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United to the John Smith's Stadium.

Both teams picked up first league victories of the season in the final game prior to the break after each managing just a point from the opening four rounds of second-tier fixtures.

Match preview

After escaping the threat of relegation from the Championship late last season under the management of Neil Warnock, Huddersfield Town headed into the 2023-24 campaign with the 74-year-old still at the helm and with their focus again on maintaining their second-tier status.

They certainly had to endure a slow start, though, with their first two league outings against Plymouth Argyle and Leicester City both ending in defeat, either side of an EFL Cup first-round exit at the hands of Middlesbrough.

The Terriers did then manage a first point of the campaign at the third time of asking, playing out a 1-1 draw in a trip to Middlesbrough as they went ahead through a Dael Fry own goal only to be pegged back by Hayden Hackney's leveller on the hour mark, before suffering another setback as a home contest against Norwich City ended in a 4-0 defeat at the end of August, as Joshua Sargent, Ashley Barnes, Jon Rowe and Adam Idah all helped themselves to goals.

Aiming to rebound and pick up a first win of the season before the break, Warnock's men most recently travelled to the Hawthorns to take on West Bromwich Albion, and the game looked set to end level at a goal apiece with Delano Burgzorg's first-half opener cancelled out by a John Swift goal, only for the Yorkshire side to eventually take all three points in dramatic fashion as Jack Rudoni popped up with the winning six minutes into injury time.

While they may have been keen to immediately follow that result up and put an improved run together, the Terriers now return to action on the back of the international break with the aim of scoring a second straight victory.

They welcome a Rotherham United side who make the short trip with a similar aim, having also got up and running before the September international break in their own survival bid.

Under the management of Matt Taylor, the Millers preserved their second-tier status last term, eventually finishing 19th with 50 points, and they set out for survival again this time around but also suffered a losing start, with their opening-day trip to Stoke City ending in a 4-1 beating.

After scraping past Morecambe in the EFL Cup, before being held to a somewhat disappointing draw at home to Blackburn Rovers having gone 2-0 up through Hakeem Odoffin and Fred Onyedinma, only for Sammie Szmodics to force a share of the spoils with a brace in the final 15 minutes.

After failing to add to their points tally in the following two meetings with Sunderland and Leicester City, losing 2-1 in both, and suffering a 6-1 thrashing to Stoke City in the EFL Cup second round, Taylor's men faced another tough test at home to Norwich City at the beginning of the month, but they were able to score a first league victory of the campaign, initially going 2-0 up in the first half through Dexter Lembikisa and Jordan Hugill.

They stood strong to take all three points from that meeting, after Christian Fassnacht pulled one back for the visitors in the opening five minutes of the second period, and they will now aim to build on that on their return with a triumph at the John Smith's Stadium.

Team News

Neil Warnock may opt to deploy an unchanged starting XI from their win away at West Brom before the break, with Tom Lees and Oliver Turton remaining sidelined by injuries, although winger Sorba Thomas has returned from his own layoff and will compete to come in from the outset.

Danny Ward should again be preferred up front in a 4-2-3-1 shape, despite competition from Kian Harratt, while Delano Burgzorg should keep his place on the left wing after netting the opening goal at the Hawthorns, leaving Thomas, Jaheim Headley and Josh Koroma to fight for the spot on the left flank.

Michal Helik and Matty Pearson are bound to continue their partnership at the heart of a back four, while Jack Rudoni and Jonathan Hogg will likely be joined in midfield by Ben Wiles, who is set to feature against his former club after swapping the Millers for the Terriers over the summer.

Rotherham also have little reason to make wholesale changes following their first win of the campaign at the start of the month, with Jordan Hugill continuing to lead the line in a 4-3-3 setup after opening his account for the term in their win over Norwich.

Andre Green and Fred Onyedinma should keep their places either side of the lone frontman, while even following Wiles's exit, the Millers have quality in midfield with Oliver Rathbone expected to be joined by summer signings Christ Tiehi and Cafu.

Further back, despite competition from the experienced Sean Morrison, Tyler Blackett and Cameron Humphreys should again be given the nod in the middle of the defence, with full-backs Dexter Lemikisa and Cohen Bramall seeking to offer support at both ends of the pitch.

Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:

Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Lembikisa, Blackett, Humphreys, Bramall; Cafu, Rathbone, Tiehi; Green, Hugill, Onyedinma

We say: Huddersfield Town 1-1 Rotherham United

Both sides are resilient and tough to beat and will be desperate for three crucial points in Saturday's Yorkshire derby.

We see them as relatively evenly-matched and cannot quite pick a winner, instead opting for a low-scoring draw at the John Smith's Stadium.


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