Our prediction for this League 1 match:
Rochdale and Charlton Athletic take on each other at Spotland Stadium in the League One round 28. The Dale aim to build on a 2-1 win over Bristol Rovers, with the team eyeing their only second home win of the season. A man to watch in the home team will be Alex Newby, who scored a brace in the victory over the Pirates at the weekend. The capital club, on the other hand, aim to bounce back from the midweek loss to Portsmouth.
The Red Robins need to return to winning ways as soon as possible if they are to stay in the race for promotion, and given their fine away record in the League One, we are tempted to put our money on the visitors. The likes of Ryan Inniss, Marcus Maddison, and Akin Famewo all misses the Portsmouth game, and the trio is rated doubtful for Saturday’s showdown.
Highlighted Player (Ryan McLaughlin):
Ryan McLaughlin is a Northern Ireland international who plays for Rochdale in the League One as a right-back. McLaughlin started his youth career at Glenavon back in 2009 and two years later he was spotted by Liverpool scouts, who persuaded him to join the Reds youth academy.
However, instead of playing for Liverpool at senior level, the Northern Ireland defender spent two seasons on loan at Barnsley and Aberdeen before moving to Oldham Athletic. After scoring three goals in 52 league appearances for the club, Ryan McLaughlin joined Rochdale in 2019 for an undisclosed fee.
McLaughlin made his League One debut with the Dale on January 26, 2019 in a 2-1 loss at Barnsley. Speaking of his international career, the pacey right-back made his Northern Ireland debut on May 31, 2014 in a friendly against Uruguay. It has to be noted that the Rochdale defender can be used as both left-back and right midfielder as well.
Highlighted Team (Charlton):
Charlton Athletic are yet another capital club that will compete in the 2019/2020 Championship season. Founded back in 1905, the Red Robins welcome their opponents at the Valley, the stadium which can hold up to 28,111 spectators. Charlton Athletic wear red shirts and white shorts when playing on home soil, whereas black is the dominant colour of their away kit.
Winning of the 1946/1947 FA Cup trophy is considered the club’s biggest success. The Red Robins defeated Burnley 1-0 in the title game, with Chris Duffy scoring the winner for Jimmy Seed’s charges in extra-time.
Fellow capital clubs Crystal Palace and Millwall are regarded as Charlton’s fiercest rivals, whilst Samuel Bartram, who made 579 appearances for the club is one of the most famous footballers who played for the Valley outfit. The club based in London will compete in the English second tier in the 2019/2020 season following a three-year absence.