Soccer betting preview: Middlesbrough welcomes Cardiff City in what could be a tight duel

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Competition: England Championship
Competition: Sat 27.February
Match begins: 15:00 (UTC)
Venue: Riverside Stadium (34988 seats)

Middlesbrough will hope to utilise their home advantage to help bridge the gap to today’s opponents. The home side are currently 3 points behind Cardiff City.

Insights:
  • Middlesbrough have played more matches over 2,5 goals home than away.
  • Cardiff City is in the best form (6-0-0)

There’s little time for restitution or working hard at the training pitch these days, with both teams having played their last game less than four days ago.

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Middlesbrough form and stats

Middlesbrough have collected 26 points from their Championship home games so far after 8-2-6.

Middlesbrough's previous game was also a home match, the defeat 1-3 versus Bristol City (placed 12th). In the preceding match a 2-0 victory visiting Reading.

The bookmakers consider this a fairly even contest. One could say only the home advantage separates the teams. It could be relevant to look at how Middlesbrough have performed in matches similar to this (as small favourites). Our database has found 13 matches with the results: Won three, drawn four and lost six.

There will be little rest for Middlesbrough after this match as they are travelling to Coventry City for a Championship game in only three days.

Middlesbrough has scored 19 league goals at home this season, in 16 matches. Middlesbrough's goalkeeper has had to pick the ball out of their own net 17 times. For more goal stats, check the Statistics tab above.

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Cardiff City form and stats

8-4-4 is the win-draw-loss statistic for Cardiff City in their Championship matches away. Impressively, the visitors are on a six-match winning run which they hope continue versus Middlesbrough. A great winning streak in away games for Cardiff City as they have managed to win four matches in a row as the visitors. Not since the Barnsley have they travelled home without three points.

Two travels in a row for Cardiff, whose manager M. McCarthy could celebrate last time after the Championship win against AFC Bournemouth. That result followed a home victory 4-0 versus Preston North End.

As mentioned above, this is an open game with no clear favourite. We have found 15 similar matches played by Cardiff City in our archives, and the results are: six wins for Cardiff City, six draws and three defeats.

The visitors are returning home after this fixture, hosting Derby County in just three days.

Cardiff find the net regularly in their away games. 21 goals from 16 away fixtures in the league. It's not easy to score on Cardiff as they have only conceded 15 goals from these away games.

Head 2 Head

The most recent history between these sides is the Cardiff City - Middlesbrough 1-1 played earlier this season. Numbers for the last ten meetings between these two teams are: four wins for Middlesbrough, one draw and five wins for Cardiff City. Over 2,5 goals: four times; under 2,5 goals: six games.

Top Goalscorers

Cardiff CityK. Moore
K. Moore
15 goals
MiddlesbroughD. Watmore
D. Watmore
6 goals
MiddlesbroughB. Assombalonga
B. Assombalonga
5 goals

Middlesbrough missing players

Cardiff City missing players

Total First Half Second Half
Middlesbrough Cardiff City
Total Home vs top Statistics Stat vs mid Away Total
32 16 6 Played P 7 16 32
13 8 2 Won W 4 8 14
7 2 2 Drew D 2 4 7
12 6 2 Lost L 1 4 11
37 19 6 Scored S 10 21 48
34 17 8 Conceded C 5 15 34
88% 94% 83% Over 0.5 O 0.5 86% 94% 97%
62% 62% 67% Over 1.5 O 1.5 71% 75% 81%
47% 50% 50% Over 2.5 O 2.5 29% 38% 47%
16% 12% 17% Over 3.5 O 3.5 14% 12% 22%
9% 6% 17% Over 4.5 O 4.5 14% 6% 9%
44% 38% 67% BTTS BTTS 43% 50% 50%
34% 38% 17% Clean Sheets C S 57% 38% 31%
34% 31% 33% Failed to Score F T 14% 19% 22%
 
0 0 0 Corners for (avg) C F 0 0 0
0 0 0 Corners against (avg) C A 0 0 0
1.4 1.4 2 Yellow cards (avg) Y C 1.6 1.8 1.8
2 2 0 Red cards R C 1 1 3
 
11.8 12 11.5 Shots (avg) S ( 11.6 10.9 11.1
3.1 3.7 4.2 Shots on Target (avg) S O 2.7 3.4 3.9
37% 32% 24% Goal Efficiency G E 53% 39% 38%
Key stats in Championship this season:
  • Cardiff City is in the best form (6-0-0)
  • Middlesbrough have played more matches over 2,5 goals home than away.

  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Norwich City 32 20 7 5 45 25 16 10 5 1 22 9 16 10 2 4 23 16 20 67
2 Brentford 32 17 9 6 59 34 16 9 5 2 32 17 16 8 4 4 27 17 25 60
3 Watford 32 17 9 6 43 23 16 12 2 2 32 12 16 5 7 4 11 11 20 60
4 Swansea City 30 17 8 5 38 19 16 10 5 1 20 6 14 7 3 4 18 13 19 59
5 Reading 32 15 6 11 44 37 16 9 0 7 24 20 16 6 6 4 20 17 7 51
6 Cardiff City 32 14 7 11 48 34 16 6 3 7 27 19 16 8 4 4 21 15 14 49
7 AFC Bournemouth 32 13 10 9 46 32 16 9 3 4 27 16 16 4 7 5 19 16 14 49
8 Barnsley 31 14 6 11 36 35 15 8 3 4 20 16 16 6 3 7 16 19 1 48
9 Middlesbrough 32 13 7 12 37 34 16 8 2 6 19 17 16 5 5 6 18 17 3 46
10 Stoke City 32 11 12 9 37 35 16 7 4 5 22 19 16 4 8 4 15 16 2 45
11 Millwall 32 9 16 7 31 28 16 3 10 3 15 13 16 6 6 4 16 15 3 43
12 Bristol City 32 13 3 16 32 43 16 7 2 7 14 16 16 6 1 9 18 27 -11 42
13 Queens Park Rangers 30 10 10 10 30 34 15 6 4 5 16 16 15 4 6 5 14 18 -4 40
14 Preston North End 32 12 4 16 34 42 16 4 3 9 11 16 16 8 1 7 23 26 -8 40
15 Blackburn Rovers 31 11 6 14 45 37 15 6 4 5 23 18 16 5 2 9 22 19 8 39
16 Nottingham Forest 32 10 9 13 27 31 16 5 6 5 15 14 16 5 3 8 12 17 -4 39
17 Luton Town 31 10 8 13 24 35 15 5 6 4 17 17 16 5 2 9 7 18 -11 38
18 Derby County 31 10 7 14 24 32 16 5 4 7 11 16 15 5 3 7 13 16 -8 37
19 Huddersfield Town 32 10 6 16 38 47 16 8 2 6 24 17 16 2 4 10 14 30 -9 36
20 Coventry City 32 8 10 14 29 43 16 6 6 4 17 17 16 2 4 10 12 26 -14 34
21 Birmingham City 32 7 10 15 23 40 16 2 3 11 10 27 16 5 7 4 13 13 -17 31
22 Rotherham United 30 8 5 17 33 41 15 4 3 8 20 21 15 4 2 9 13 20 -8 29
23 Sheffield Wednesday 31 9 7 15 21 35 15 6 5 4 12 9 16 3 2 11 9 26 -14 28
24 Wycombe Wanderers 31 5 8 18 23 51 16 3 5 8 10 19 15 2 3 10 13 32 -28 23

Middlesbrough:
Cardiff City:
Championship:
England:
Table
  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Norwich City 32 20 7 5 45 25 16 10 5 1 22 9 16 10 2 4 23 16 20 67
2 Brentford 32 17 9 6 59 34 16 9 5 2 32 17 16 8 4 4 27 17 25 60
3 Watford 32 17 9 6 43 23 16 12 2 2 32 12 16 5 7 4 11 11 20 60
4 Swansea City 30 17 8 5 38 19 16 10 5 1 20 6 14 7 3 4 18 13 19 59
5 Reading 32 15 6 11 44 37 16 9 0 7 24 20 16 6 6 4 20 17 7 51
6 Cardiff City 32 14 7 11 48 34 16 6 3 7 27 19 16 8 4 4 21 15 14 49
7 AFC Bournemouth 32 13 10 9 46 32 16 9 3 4 27 16 16 4 7 5 19 16 14 49
8 Barnsley 31 14 6 11 36 35 15 8 3 4 20 16 16 6 3 7 16 19 1 48
9 Middlesbrough 32 13 7 12 37 34 16 8 2 6 19 17 16 5 5 6 18 17 3 46
10 Stoke City 32 11 12 9 37 35 16 7 4 5 22 19 16 4 8 4 15 16 2 45
11 Millwall 32 9 16 7 31 28 16 3 10 3 15 13 16 6 6 4 16 15 3 43
12 Bristol City 32 13 3 16 32 43 16 7 2 7 14 16 16 6 1 9 18 27 -11 42
13 Queens Park Rangers 30 10 10 10 30 34 15 6 4 5 16 16 15 4 6 5 14 18 -4 40
14 Preston North End 32 12 4 16 34 42 16 4 3 9 11 16 16 8 1 7 23 26 -8 40
15 Blackburn Rovers 31 11 6 14 45 37 15 6 4 5 23 18 16 5 2 9 22 19 8 39
16 Nottingham Forest 32 10 9 13 27 31 16 5 6 5 15 14 16 5 3 8 12 17 -4 39
17 Luton Town 31 10 8 13 24 35 15 5 6 4 17 17 16 5 2 9 7 18 -11 38
18 Derby County 31 10 7 14 24 32 16 5 4 7 11 16 15 5 3 7 13 16 -8 37
19 Huddersfield Town 32 10 6 16 38 47 16 8 2 6 24 17 16 2 4 10 14 30 -9 36
20 Coventry City 32 8 10 14 29 43 16 6 6 4 17 17 16 2 4 10 12 26 -14 34
21 Birmingham City 32 7 10 15 23 40 16 2 3 11 10 27 16 5 7 4 13 13 -17 31
22 Rotherham United 30 8 5 17 33 41 15 4 3 8 20 21 15 4 2 9 13 20 -8 29
23 Sheffield Wednesday 31 9 7 15 21 35 15 6 5 4 12 9 16 3 2 11 9 26 -14 28
24 Wycombe Wanderers 31 5 8 18 23 51 16 3 5 8 10 19 15 2 3 10 13 32 -28 23

More from England - Championship

Read more about Championship

The English Football League Championship (usually shortened to the Championship) is the second highest division in the English football league system. 24 teams play 46 fixtures from August to May, meeting each other twice. The Championship is the wealthiest second-level division in the world.