A South Yorkshire derby is the highlight of the League One fixture list this weekend as League Two champions Doncaster Rovers welcome Rotherham United.
League One
Our Three Predictions For Doncaster Rovers vs Rotherham United
- Prediction 1 – Luke Molyneux To Score – 9/5
- Prediction 2 – Over 2.5 Goals Scored – 1/1
- Prediction 3 – Match To End In A Draw – 13/5
First Prediction For Doncaster Rovers vs Rotherham United – Luke Molyneux To Score – 9/5
After his successful campaign which saw him nominated for the League Two Player of the Season, Molyneux has had a strong start to life in League One with a goal and assist. He found the net on the opening day before assisting in the second game of the season against Mansfield Town. Whilst his returns have slowed, the former Hartlepool United man is still a strong goal threat, with his eight shots one of the highest in the division for wingers. He is an injury concern heading into this game though, following a reckless challenge from Accrington Stanley‘s Ben Woods, meaning he may not be guaranteed to start, but manager Grant McCann has not ruled out him featuring against the Millers.
Second Prediction For Doncaster Rovers vs Rotherham United – Over 2.5 Goals Scored – 1/1
Any derby match has the potential to be a close fought and feisty encounter and this may be no exception. Doncaster have made the step up to the third tier and largely continued where they left off with big results and a winning form which has got them into playoff contention in this formative stage of the season. Rovers have big wins under their belts, most notably in the EFL Cup with a 4-0 decimation of Middlesbrough. Rotherham, meanwhile, are yet to truly find some momentum results wise, but have been good at finding the net with promising showings against Wigan Athletic and Barnsley. Their last three games have ended with over 2.5 goals scored and the same could surely happen against an in-form side like Doncaster.
Third Prediction For Doncaster Rovers vs Rotherham United – Match To End In A Draw – 13/5
Whilst it has been far from an ideal start for the Millers, form can sometimes be a moot point when it comes to derby games. There is no better chance for Matt Hamshaw’s side to step up than in this game, and recent form in this fixture is certainly in their favour to do just that. But the Doncaster side they faced then is now much changed and revitalised under Grant McCann now. They look a very strong side heading into this match, even with the injury concern of key player Luke Molyneux. Rovers are probably the favourites in this match, but the Millers may be able to use this game as motivation to continue racking up points. A draw could be the most likely result at the Eco-Power Stadium.
Best Odds For Doncaster Rovers vs Rotherham United
| Bookmaker | Doncaster Rovers | Draw | Rotherham United |
| Betarno | 5/8 | 12/5 | 7/2 |
| Gentleman Jim | 4/6 | 13/5 | 15/4 |
| Myriadplay | 13/20 | 13/5 | 15/4 |
Full Preview Of The Game: Last Results And Head-To-Head
Doncaster Rovers head into the derby with momentum behind them, largely continuing where they left off to clinch the League Two title on the final day. Losing just one game all season to title favourites Huddersfield Town, Grant McCann’s side have gained 10 points from their opening five games, keeping them level on points with Barnsley in sixth place but behind on goal difference. However, even despite their good start to the season, their joy has come in the EFL Cup, with clinical victories against Middlesbrough and Accrington Stanley in their most recent match to set up a mouth-watering Third Round tie away to Europa League champions Tottenham Hotspur. Injury concerns emerged in the win over Stanley, with Luke Molyneux forced off the pitch nine minutes after coming on with an ankle injury from a robust tackle. McCann has concerns that their top scorer last season might not be available for this game, but the 27-year-old could still feature.
Rotherham United are also missing a star factor in this game with the continued absence of Sam Nombe, who has been missing since their loss to Stevenage in the second match of the season. Nevertheless, Matt Hamshaw has invested in new forwards to fill the absence, recruiting Martin Sherif on loan from Everton. Results are yet to come consistently for the Millers, with just one win all season on the opening day against Port Vale. They sit in 17th with four points in four matches, having played one game less due to their match against Burton Albion being rescheduled for later in the season. Their EFL Cup campaign came to an end in their most recent match, losing to fellow South Yorkshire rivals Barnsley at Oakwell. United have scored just four goals all season, with only three League One sides having found the net fewer times so far this season.
Only Lincoln City have faced Rotherham more often than Doncaster have, with 84 games played in total. The Millers are the dominant force in this game, with 40 wins to Doncaster’s 22. The most recent games have also been dominated by the New York Stadium side, with six wins in their last eight fixtures and the last two games ending in a combined 11-0 scoreline in favour of the away team for this game. Rovers’ last win came in 2019 at the Eco-Power Stadium.
Elliot Bell is the referee for this fixture, which will be his seventh appointment of the season. His most recent match came in midweek with Swansea City‘s penalty shootout win over Plymouth Argyle in the EFL Cup second round. He has handed out 20 yellow cards and one red card across his games so far this season, dismissing Niall Ennis in Blackpool‘s win over Huddersfield Town two weeks ago.
Confrontation
21/02/2026
League One League One
Rotherham
Doncaster
1
2
30/08/2025
League One League One
Doncaster
Rotherham
1
0
03/08/2024
Club Friendlies Club Friendlies
Rotherham United
Doncaster Rovers
0
0
19/07/2022
Club Friendlies Club Friendlies
Doncaster Rovers
Rotherham United
2
2
Last Results - Doncaster 
03/03/2026
EFL Trophy EFL Trophy
Doncaster
Stockport County
0
1
L
28/02/2026
League One League One
Doncaster
Cardiff
0
4
L
21/02/2026
League One League One
Rotherham
Doncaster
1
2
W
17/02/2026
League One League One
Doncaster
Huddersfield
1
0
W
07/02/2026
League One League One
Wycombe
Doncaster
4
0
L
Last Results - Rotherham
03/03/2026
League One League One
Rotherham
Mansfield
0
0
D
28/02/2026
League One League One
Rotherham
Plymouth
1
0
W
24/02/2026
League One League One
Bradford City
Rotherham
1
0
L
21/02/2026
League One League One
Rotherham
Doncaster
1
2
L
17/02/2026
League One League One
Burton
Rotherham
1
0
L
Where To Watch Doncaster Rovers vs Rotherham United
Where can I watch the game, either on TV or in person?
- Location: Eco-Power Stadium, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN4 5JW
- Date: August 30th, 2025
This game is available to watch in the UK, on Sky Sports+, with kick-off at 12:30 pm.
Probable Lineups For Doncaster Rovers vs Rotherham United
What sort of lineup can we expect from this important League One clash?
Predicted Doncaster Rovers Lineup
- Lineup: Lo-Tutala; Nixon, O’Riordan, Pearson, Senior; Bailey, Broadbent; Molyneux, Sbarra, Gibson; Sharp
- Injured/Suspended: Molyneux, Sterry
- Manager: Grant McCann
Predicted Rotherham United Lineup
- Lineup: Dawson; James, Raggett, Rafferty; Kelly; Agbaire, Powell, Yearwood, Gore; Sherif, Etete
- Injured/Suspended: Nombe, McWilliams
- Manager: Matthew Hamshaw
