Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion will meet at the Riverside Stadium on Tuesday night. Just three points separate the clubs in the Championship standings, with kickoff at 10:45 pm.
Both Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion are taking part in the race for the playoffs, but they both suffered disappointing defeats on the road at the weekend.
Despite having hoisted the floodgates against Derby County in the previous game, much of the champion of bad defensive records in the division, many were expected in the Middlesbrough team versus Bristol City to do so.
But the footballers were surprised by a defeat at Ashton Gate and could not achieve the third conquest away from home, which left them a point away from reaching the playoffs.
Wilder will still expect his players to finish in the top six, but the setback is a wake-up call after several months of positivity since his arrival.
Steve Bruce was expected to bring an upturn in West Bromwich Albion’s fortunes after being appointed as Valerien Ismael’s successor earlier this month. However, the Baggies have collected just one point from games against Sheffield United, Blackburn Rovers, and Luton Town, scoring no goals in the process.
The West Midlands outfit has not scored in the last five matches, causing the club to fall to 11th place.
Middlesbrough vs. West Brom Head to Head
Both sides have eleven games against each other, with hosts taking three wins while visitors with five wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Bristol City 2-1 Middlesbrough
- Middlesbrough 4-1 Derby County
- QPR 2-2 Middlesbrough
- Man United 1-1 Middlesbrough
- Middlesbrough 1-0 Coventry City
Away
- Luton 2-0 West Brom
- West Brom 0-0 Blackburn
- Sheffield United 2-0 West Brom
- Millwall 2-0 West Brom
- West Brom 0-2 Preston North End
Middlesbrough Team News
Duncan Watmore could return to Middlesbrough’s starting lineup, filling in for Aaron Connolly or Folarin Balogun. Andraz Sporar may be available if he overcomes his illness, while Riley McGree could start with Matt Crooks serving a ban.
West Brom Team News
As Middlesbrough is also playing with a back three, Bruce might stick with a back three. Grady Diangana and Callum Robinson are likely to start in the final third, taking the place of Adam Reach and Karlan Grant.
Prediction and Odds
We think this game will be a low-scoring affair and that Boro will go just about edge their way to another win.
- Middlesbrough Win
- Goals Under 2.5
- No Score: Away
