This Tuesday night, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough will square off at Bramall Lane with just one point separating the two teams in the Championship standings with kickoff at 10:45 pm.
After this fixture was postponed at the turn of the year, Billy Wilder finally gets to renew acquaintances with his ex-employers since taking charge of Boro in January.
The stakes have risen considerably in recent weeks, and Wilder has had the desired effect at the Riverside Stadium, collecting 33 points from his 17 Championship fixtures.
Although inconsistency has recently become a factor, Boro has enjoyed an excellent seven days following an FA Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur with a hard-fought 2-1 success against promotion rivals Luton Town at the weekend.
Duncan Watmore’s sixth goal of the season was what ultimately proved key for Middlesbrough, who are just four points behind 11th-placed Preston North End.
As far as Sheffield United are concerned, boss Paul Heckingbottom must view this match as crucial, given the slackening of their form lately.
Although the Blades have only lost once in 11 outings, they have won two of their last six matches.
Currently sixth in the table, the team faces the prospect of dropping down to 10th place if they lose to Forest. Heckingbottom will likely be taking a more positive approach to matters, but losing out on Friday night felt somewhat demoralizing.
Sheffield United vs. Middlesbrough Head to Head
Both sides have 11 games against each other, with hosts taking three wins while visitors with six wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Sheffield United 1-1 Nottingham
- Millwall 1-0 Sheffield United
- Sheffield 1-0 Blackburn
- Sheffield 4-0 Swansea
- Hull City 0-0 Sheffield
Away
- Middlesbrough 2-1 Luton Town
- Middlesbrough 1-0 Tottenham
- Barnsley 3-2 Middlesbrough
- Middlesbrough 2-1 West Brom
- Bristol City 2-1 Middlesbrough
Sheffield United Team News
Heckingbottom must decide whether to hand a second start to midfielder Seriki, who played in the absence of Baldock last week. Seriki will hope to keep his spot, but Ben Osborn or Norrington-Davies may switch from the left flank.
Middlesbrough Team News
After making the substitutes’ bench for their match against Luton Town, Watmore and Andraz Sporar may return to Middlesbrough’s starting lineup against Sheffield Wednesday. Coach Steve Agnew usually prefers to keep his starting eleven consistent, so they should start if both players are healthy.
Prediction and Odds
This match will be a hard-hitting and exciting event, with Wilder in the mix.
- Draw
- Double Chance
- Goals Under 3.5
