- Date & Time: Monday April 22, 12:30 BST
- Venue: Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
- Teams: Middlesbrough vs Leeds United
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Boro look to keep playoff chances alive as Leeds look to move into top two
Middlesbrough may have left it too late to get into the playoffs this season. However, a top six finish is still possible and Michael Carrick’s side will be pulling out all of the stops to get the win. Leeds United know that an away win would put them into an automatic promotion spot.
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough appears to be wrapping up their season on a positive note, despite facing slim odds of breaking into the top six. Under Michael Carrick’s guidance, the team has embarked on an impressive unbeaten streak, securing 19 points from their last nine Championship outings, which include five wins and four draws. Their recent clashes against playoff contenders and title challengers showcase a determined effort to finish strongly.
Emmanuel Latte Lath has emerged as a key player, netting four goals in as many games and reaching his 12th goal of the season in their recent fixture against Ipswich Town. However, Middlesbrough’s hopes of clinching a playoff spot remain challenging, with only nine points left to gather and a considerable gap to bridge behind West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City.
Despite the slim playoff chances, Middlesbrough can draw confidence from their recent defensive solidity, evidenced by three consecutive clean sheets at the Riverside Stadium. Nevertheless, their record against Yorkshire teams at home has been mixed, with only two victories in their last ten encounters.
As they gear up for their upcoming home match, Middlesbrough will likely focus on maintaining their defensive resilience while aiming to capitalise on their recent attacking momentum to secure another positive result.
Tom Glover is out for the season after finger surgery. Hayden Hackney (leg), Riley McGree (foot), Marcus Forss (hamstring), Dael Fry (groin), Josh Coburn (groin), Tom Smith and Darragh Lenihan (both Achilles) are all unavailable. Sam Greenwood and Luke Ayling, both on loan to Boro from Leeds, are unable to play against their parent club.
Leeds United
While Leicester City’s recent struggles have dominated headlines, Leeds United have also faced challenges, particularly after an impressive run earlier in the year. From January to April, Leeds seemed unstoppable, racking up an impressive 41 points from 15 unbeaten matches. However, their form has taken a sharp decline since then, earning just one point from their last nine matches, including losses to Coventry City and Blackburn Rovers.
Despite these setbacks, Leeds has a chance to regain momentum and temporarily surpass Ipswich Town in the standings with a win against Middlesbrough. Leeds has a strong recent record against Middlesbrough, winning their last three encounters. This includes a memorable 3-0 victory in 2018, highlighted by Patrick Bamford’s hat-trick before his move to Elland Road.
With motivation running high and a favourable history against Middlesbrough, Leeds aims to break their recent rut and secure a crucial victory at the Riverside on Monday evening.
Darko Gyabi and Pascal Struijk are out for the season with groin issues. Both players have had surgery. Welsh international Connor Roberts has suffered a recurrence of a muscle injury picked up on international duty and will be unavailable for at least the next two matches. Archie Gray is set to replace Roberts at right-back, with Glen Kamara likely to come into midfield.
Middlesbrough vs Leeds United Odds
These are the live odds for the match.
Prediction
Middlesbrough are very well organised defensively and have their defence has been difficult to breach at the Riverside. Leeds have stuttered recently and we see this game as being a tight affair. We predict a low scoring draw.
Tip: Draw. -2.5 goals.
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