Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn Rovers shared the points after a largely forgettable 0–0 draw at Hillsborough on Monday night.
Blackburn head coach Valérien Ismaël felt his side did a solid job of limiting Sheffield Wednesday’s attacking threat, believing the hosts were restricted to very few clear-cut chances throughout the contest. With both teams heavily affected by injuries, the game lacked tempo and cutting edge, and neither goalkeeper was seriously tested for long spells.
For Wednesday, the stalemate at least brought a positive milestone, as it marked their first home clean sheet in more than a year and prevented them from going an entire calendar year without one at Hillsborough. They did have a late opportunity to steal victory when centre-back Gabriel Otegbayo found himself in a promising position, but he was unable to convert.
Overall, a draw felt like a fair result, particularly as both sides have now opened the demanding festive period with two consecutive stalemates.
Reflecting on the match, Ismaël told BBC Radio Lancashire that the performance was very different to their Boxing Day outing against Middlesbrough. He felt Blackburn controlled possession early on and started strongly, especially during the opening 20 to 25 minutes.
However, Ismaël admitted his side lacked quality in the final third, pointing to missed opportunities where players took too many touches or failed to deliver the decisive pass or cross. He highlighted situations involving Yuki Ohashi and Axel Henriksson as moments that should have produced more.
He added that sloppy play allowed Sheffield Wednesday back into the game, forcing Blackburn to readjust after the break. The second-half performance, he felt, was more controlled and disciplined, with the hosts offering little from open play.
Ismaël concluded that while he was satisfied with the defensive effort, his main frustration was his side’s inability to test the goalkeeper, admitting they simply failed to hit the target often enough.
Leave a Reply