Middlesbrough vs Southampton - prediction, team news, lineups

Middlesbrough play big to Southampton connected Saturday day successful the archetypal limb of their Championship playoff semi-final.

Despite having some avoided decision successful their last 4 matches, these 2 teams finished successful 5th and 4th presumption successful the Championship table respectively.

Match preview

Having spent truthful agelong challenging for the rubric and automatic promotion, Middlesbrough tin lone beryllium disappointed to person finished successful 5th spot.

A seven-match winless streak betwixt March 11 and April 19 yet outgo Kim Hellberg and his players arsenic they finished 4 points down 2nd position.

Nevertheless, Middlesbrough recovered immoderate signifier during the closing fixtures, adjacent if their 2 wins came against 2 clubs who could not bargain a triumph astatine that signifier of the campaign.

After overcoming Sheffield Wednesday and Watford, Middlesbrough earned a 2-2 gully distant astatine Wrexham connected the last play of the season.

Although Middlesbrough ended the regular run with 42 points from 23 games astatine the Riverside Stadium, the location triumphs implicit the Owls and Hornets ended a hold for a location triumph that had lasted since January 31.

As for Southampton, they person precocious experienced the uncommon feeling of going 3 matches without a triumph successful each competitions.

However, arsenic good arsenic their lone decision coming by a 2-1 scoreline to Manchester City successful the FA Cup semi-finals, different of those results was a 2-2 gully astatine location to Ipswich.

The Saints ended the Championship run with a 3-1 triumph astatine Preston North End, a effect that was required to decorativeness up of Middlesbrough connected extremity quality and unafraid location vantage for the 2nd leg.

Southampton are present unbeaten successful 19 matches (W14 D5) successful the Championship. From January 21, they accumulated 10 much points than immoderate different squad successful the division.

That tally did not see Middlesbrough, however, and the corresponding league fixture astatine the Riverside Stadium connected January 4 ended successful a 4-0 occurrence for Boro.

Middlesbrough Championship form:

D L D W W D

Southampton Championship form:

W W W D D W

Southampton signifier (all competitions):

W W D L D W

Team News

Hellberg has utilized some a 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-2-1 enactment successful Middlesbrough's past 2 games, meaning that it is unclear however helium volition enactment up.

There volition beryllium a temptation to stay with the latter, partially down to the likes of Riley McGree, Leo Castledine and Jeremy Sarmiento arguably lacking the minutes required to propulsion them into a playoff semi-final.

Alex Bangura and prima antheral Hayden Hackney are pushing to instrumentality to the squad aft injury, portion Alan Browne volition beryllium assessed aft suffering a insignificant contented anterior to and during the Wrexham crippled that led to his half-time withdrawal.

Meanwhile, Eckert is expected to callback a fig of Southampton players that were rotated for the Preston game.

James Bree, Ryan Manning, Finn Azaz and Cyle Larin are each successful enactment to instrumentality to the starting lineup.

Jack Stephens is acceptable again aft wounded and whitethorn regenerate Nathan Wood, portion Flynn Downes has served a three-match suspension and is an enactment successful midfield.

Kuryu Matsuki is besides pushing for a instrumentality to the squad aft being sidelined since the Man City game.

Middlesbrough imaginable starting lineup:

Brynn; Ayling, Fry, Malanda; Brittain, Morris, Browne, Targett; Whittaker, Conway; Strelec

Southampton imaginable starting lineup:

Peretz; Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Stephens, Manning; Charles, Jander; Fellows, Azaz, Scienza; Larin

We say: Middlesbrough 1-2 Southampton

With Middlesbrough having finished the run strongly, they volition backmost themselves to gain astatine slightest a stock of the spoils against the division's in-form team. However, we cannot disregard that Southampton support churning retired results, starring america to foretell a constrictive triumph for the Saints, perchance done a extremity during the closing stages.

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