- West Brom form: West Bromwich have won 4 of their last 5 matches and have won their last 4 consecutive games.
- Rotherham form: Rotherham United have won 1, drawn 1 and lost 3 of their last 5 games.
- Rotherham home stats: Rotherham have scored only 0.40 goals per-game and conceded 1.60 in home matches in all current competitions.
A bridge too far for Rotherham
Form and momentum
West Bromwich are flying right now, winning 4 of their last 5 and coming into this game on the back of a 4-game winning streak. They will be extremely difficult to beat on Saturday and it's hard to see Rotherham upsetting the odds.
Tactics
James Morrison has got his team playing high-tempo soccer at the right times, pressing opponents in numbers to win the ball back and looking to break quickly in a compact 4-4-2 formation when protecting leads.
Recent results
They've been rewarded for their efforts with 4 convincing wins in their last 5, a 4-1 home win against Bromley, a 4-1 win at Shrewsbury Town and a 2-0 win away at Peterborough United, with their only loss coming in a 0-2 defeat at home to Sheffield United in a friendly.
Rotherham
Rotherham have also found form with 1 win, 1 draw and 3 defeats in their last 5, with two of those defeats being a 3-2 loss at Wycombe Wanderers in League One and a 0-2 home loss to Sheffield United in a pre-season friendly. Alex Bruce has set them up to be a little more pragmatic and they're a team that will look to sit deep and stay compact in order to be stingy at the back and nick goals on the counter.
Head-to-head and outlook
There is a clear difference in style and quality here and I believe the visitors have the edge, especially as they've won 3 of the last 4 meetings, including a 2-0 Championship win at home 2 years ago. The Millers have also drawn 2 and lost 3 of their last 5 home games in all comps, while West Bromwich have won 4, drawn 1 and lost 1 of their last 6 on the road. I think West Bromwich have the tools to control the tempo in this one and they will pressure Rotherham into giving away mistakes.
Key players
- Sam Nombe is Rotherham's biggest threat, with 2 of the Millers' 5 goals in the last 5 matches but he's a very one-paced player and gets his goals by being in the right place at the right time.
- Jimmy-Jay Morgan has been in excellent form for West Brom, scoring 4 of their 13 goals in the last 5 matches and he'll give Rotherham's central defenders plenty to think about.
Betting markets
The odds are skewed towards a Baggies win, with West Brom at 1.51, Rotherham 5.8 and the draw 4.3, so it makes sense to play the goals markets in this cup game. Over 2.5 is at 1.67 and Both Teams to Score - Yes is at 1.8.
