Our prediction for this League 2 match:
Rochdale and Salford City go head to head at Spotland Stadium in what is expected to be a close League Two encounter. The Dale failed to win the previous three league fixtures, with the team obviously struggling in front of goal. The hosts aim to put an end to their goalless run, but they face a difficult task in Tuesday’s clash. All Josh Andrews, Paul Downing, and Max Taylor are sidelined with injuries, but there are no suspended players in the home team.
The Lions, on the other hand, head into the match following a goalless draw with Exeter where they had no more than four goal attempts. Since Salford are not regarded as good travelers, we predict that the two sides will play out a low-scoring draw at Spotland Stadium. As for the visiting team, the likes of Ashley Eastham, Matty Willock, and Josh Morris miss out through injuries.
Highlighted Player (Eoghan O\'Connell):
Eoghan O’Connell is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a center back for Rochdale. O'Connell, who hails from the village of Douglas, was born on the 13th of August, 1995. In his early days, the defender used to play for two renowned Irish academies in College Corinthians and Avondale United before switching to the Celtic Academy in 2011.
He made his professional debut on the 29th of March, 2014, featuring in Celtic's 1-1 draw against Ross Country in the Scottish Premiership. His time at the Hoops included sporadic first-team appearances and loan spells with teams Oldham Athletic, Cork City, and Walsall. However, he won Celtic's Academy Player of the Year 2014 award and was included in the reputed Irish publication Journal.ie's " 10 most promising young Irish Footballers" article. His search for regular playing time brought O'Connell to Bury, whom he joined in June 2017.
He remained at the club for two seasons before signing for his current club Rochdale on a two-year contract starting on the 4th of July, 2019. Additionally, the 24-year-old has capped for the Republic of Ireland's under-19 and the under-21 team. He made his under-21 debut on the 2nd of September, 2017, in a 2-0 UEFA European Under-21 Qualifier win over Slovenia.
Highlighted Team (Salford):
Founded during the Second World War (1940) as Salford Central, the League Two side play their home games at Moor Lane. The stadium, which was opened in 1978 and renovated in 2019, can hold up to 5,108 spectators. The Lions wear red jerseys and white shorts when playing in front of home fans, while white and black are the dominant colours of their away kit.
Salford City secured promotion to the League 2 at the end of the 2018/19 as they defeated Flyde 3-0 in the National League play-offs final. The match was played at Wembley Stadium, with Touray, Pergianni, and Dieseruvwe scoring for the Lions.
In the 1977/78 season Salford City won their first Manchester Premier Cup trophy, with the team repeating the success the following year. Bury are seen as the club’s main rivals, but their rivalry with the likes of Oldham and Rochdale is pretty big as well.