Blackburn Rovers Vs Bristol City: City win 2-1 as Atkinson faces ankle doubt

In a tightly contested fixture, blackburn rovers vs bristol city ended 2-1 to Bristol City at Ewood Park as Emil Riis and Scott Twine struck to overturn an early Yuki Ohashi goal. The result gives City three points but was tempered by Rob Atkinson’s ankle problem and a series of late dramas.

Blackburn Rovers Vs Bristol City: late tension, Vítek saves and added time

The match finished as a hard-fought victory for Bristol City, with Radek Vítek credited with crucial saves that helped the Robins hold out as Blackburn pressed in the closing stages. The fourth official signalled five minutes of added time, a last-minute free-kick for City raised the tension and Blackburn Rovers fans urged a quick continuation as time ran out. Commentary noted that City had done the hard work in the first half and then had to battle through a relentless second-half spell from Blackburn.

Rob Atkinson taken off after heavy challenge; Struber 'really happy' but cautious

Bristol City defender Rob Atkinson was forced off after lengthy treatment following a heavy challenge late in the first half and did not return after the break, with Neto Borges replacing him on the left of the Robins’ backline. Head coach Gerhard Struber said Rob "has, I would say, again something on his ankle" and suggested he thought Atkinson had over-rolled his ankle. Struber added that a scan would likely come the next day and that he did not have "such a big hope for the Friday game with him, at the moment. " He also said he was "really happy" with the team's overall performance at Ewood Park.

Goals and scorers: Ohashi strike overturned by Riis and Twine

Yuki Ohashi had handed Michael O'Neill's side the lead at Ewood Park, but first-half goals from Emil Riis and Scott Twine proved enough for City to claim the three points. Riis and Twine both struck home their ninth league goal of the campaign. The Robins secured a first win in three Championship matches with that comeback, and the victory lifted the Reds up to eighth in the table, still four points adrift of the play-off places.

Blackburn pressure, chances and substitutions late on

Blackburn pressed throughout the second half and finished with 16 attempts, six on target, but were unable to find a leveller. Yuki Ohashi missed a chance at one point, smashing a shot into the ground and wide from the centre of the box. Oladapo Afolayan came on for Kristi Montgomery for Blackburn, while Max Bird replaced Tomi Horvat for Bristol City. Players such as Moussa Baradji and Dion De Neve made determined plays down the flanks for Blackburn. An important intervention from George Tanner denied substitute Andri Gudjohnsen, and there was a brilliant Radek Vitek save to keep Moussa Baradji at bay deep into second-half stoppage time. Commentator Gary Owers, a former Sunderland and Bristol City midfielder, described a "great attempt by Tommy Horvath" that was thwarted by the keeper's diving save.

Managerial and season context: O'Neill's early run, injuries and wider form

Michael O'Neill’s tenure at Blackburn had brought early momentum: Rovers had won both of their first two matches under him prior to this meeting, and had earlier secured a dramatic 95th-minute victory in which Yuki Ohashi struck late to win a home game that moved them five points clear of the relegation zone with 13 matches remaining. That run followed the club's decision to part ways with Valerien Ismael after a run of just 11 wins in nearly a year. O'Neill is balancing the Blackburn role with managing the Northern Ireland national team. Preview material by Calum Burrowes, dated 22 Feb 2026 and updated 23 Feb 2026, described Blackburn as relegation candidates and Bristol City as playoff outsiders ahead of this fixture at Ewood Park.

Sports coverage in the build-up noted Blackburn had scored four goals in the last 180 minutes of football but that their overall attacking output has been poor, with 31 Championship goals for the season recorded as the third-lowest in the division. Bristol City’s form has been erratic: they had slipped to a narrow 1-0 defeat in South Wales after a Zan Vipotnik strike, had faced Welsh opposition twice in less than a week, and sat 12th in league listings at one point despite being in the play-off places a few weeks earlier. The Robins have at times failed to follow up victories and suffered a damaging 5-0 home defeat earlier in the campaign. Injuries have also been a theme, with the context noting Rob Dickie as another concern and that Blackburn had been without several first-team players.