Championship preview: Can Middlesbrough edge out victory against Stoke City?

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Competition: England Championship
Competition: Tue 14.March
Match begins: 20:00 (UTC)
Venue: Riverside Stadium (34988 seats)

A quick look at the Championship standings shows that this is top- versus mid-table, but that's not all you need to know. Check out our Middlesbrough - Stoke City match preview!

Insights:
  • Middlesbrough is in the best form (5-0-1) in Championship
  • Stoke City have played more matches over 2,5 goals away than home.

It’s busy days for these teams as both were in action only a few days ago. There’s no rest for the wicked, or in this case; no rest for Middlesbrough and Stoke City.

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Middlesbrough form and stats

The home supporters can't complain about results here at Riverside Stadium as Middlesbrough have scored 31 goals to get 35 points from 17 games. The overall stats in the Championship are 10-5-2 (wins-draws-losses). After failing to beat Bristol City here at Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough has put together a very nice winning streak on their own turf with seven wins in a row.

It's back home for Middlesbrough, who return with a good feeling about themselves after beating Swansea City away with the result 3-1. Archer, Ramsey and Akpom found the net in that victory. Midfielder Ramsey was the best player on the team with a rating of 7.91 (out of ten) in that game. Ramsey scored one goal, hit two key passes and dribled past the opponent 6 of 6 times.

Before that game, the 5-0 home victory against Reading.

The betting market estimate that the home team has about 55-60% chance of winning this match. There could be betting value if you think differently, so to help you here are the stats from Middlesbrough's earlier matches at home being 55%-60% favourite: Played 6 games, won 3 matches, drawn 1 and lost 2.

Goals, goals, goals? Who knows the future, but we do know that 13 of the 17 latest league games with this team has contained three or more goals.

The match schedule is unforgiving for Middlesbrough as they have a new game in only four days, a Championship match thankfully also at home. Preston North End are visiting.

A decent goal production from Middlesbrough in their home games so far, with 31 goals from 17 league matches. Middlesbrough have only conceded 13 from their league home games. For more goal stats, check the Statistics tab above. There's been improvement defensively lately, as only 1 of these goals has been conceded in their last three home matches.

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Stoke City form and stats

As the visiting team in Championship matches, Stoke City have produced an overall stat of 7-3-8 so far. Stoke love their trips these days, as their two previous away games have resulted in victories.

Stoke City won their last game, 3-2 versus Blackburn Rovers played at home. Hoever was the top performer of the team in that game with a match score of 8.43. The defender Hoever scored two goals and won 7 of 8 duels.

Ahead of that match was the victory versus Sunderland at their stadium, the result 5-1.

Looking at the earlier recent performances of Stoke City when being an outsider away as they are today, we find 4 matches with the visitors losing 4 times, drawing 0 and winning 0 games.

A quick return to home after this game, as Stoke City are hosting Norwich City in the Championship only four days away.

Stoke find the net regularly in their away games. 24 goals from 18 away fixtures in the league. As opposed to that, Stoke City have seen the ball go into their own net 23 times on the road.

Head 2 Head

Middlesbrough have won at least one point in the last 4 matches (2-2-0) versus Stoke City.

These opponents have played earlier this season: Stoke City - Middlesbrough 2-2.

Top Goalscorers

MiddlesbroughC. Akpom
C. Akpom
22 goals
MiddlesbroughM. Forss
M. Forss
8 goals
Stoke CityT. Campbell
T. Campbell
8 goals

Middlesbrough missing players

Stoke City missing players

Total First Half Second Half
Middlesbrough Stoke City
Total Home vs mid Statistics Stat vs top Away Total
36 17 4 Played P 7 18 36
19 10 3 Won W 1 7 13
6 5 1 Drew D 1 3 7
11 2 0 Lost L 5 8 16
64 31 9 Scored S 4 24 47
41 13 1 Conceded C 12 23 44
94% 88% 100% Over 0.5 O 0.5 100% 94% 94%
81% 71% 75% Over 1.5 O 1.5 71% 72% 69%
64% 53% 25% Over 2.5 O 2.5 29% 50% 47%
39% 29% 25% Over 3.5 O 3.5 29% 33% 33%
14% 18% 25% Over 4.5 O 4.5 0% 6% 6%
61% 53% 25% BTTS BTTS 43% 50% 42%
25% 47% 75% Clean Sheets C S 14% 28% 28%
19% 12% 0% Failed to Score F T 43% 28% 36%
 
6.2 6.7 6.8 Corners for (avg) C F 4.3 4.6 5.5
4.2 4.5 3.2 Corners against (avg) C A 8 5.5 5.1
2 2 2.5 Yellow cards (avg) Y C 2.4 1.9 1.8
2 0 0 Red cards R C 0 0 0
 
12.6 12.6 15 Shots (avg) S ( 9.4 12.7 13.1
4.2 4.8 5.5 Shots on Target (avg) S O 3.6 4.5 4.5
42% 38% 41% Goal Efficiency G E 16% 30% 29%
 
10.2 8.4 6.5 Shots against (avg) S A 12.9 11.5 10.2
3.6 2.7 1.8 Shots on Target against (avg) S O 4.3 3.7 3.3
Key stats in Championship this season:
  • Middlesbrough have scored at least twice as many goals as they have conceded at home.
  • Middlesbrough have the fewest matches under the total-line (13) in Championship
  • Middlesbrough have the most matches over the total-line (23) in Championship
  • Middlesbrough have the most points from losing position (21) in Championship
  • Middlesbrough is in the best form (5-0-1) in Championship
  • Stoke City have played more matches over 2,5 goals away than home.

  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Burnley 36 23 11 2 71 28 19 14 5 0 43 13 17 9 6 2 28 15 43 80
2 Sheffield United 36 20 7 9 56 32 18 11 3 4 35 17 18 9 4 5 21 15 24 67
3 Middlesbrough 36 19 6 11 64 41 17 10 5 2 31 13 19 9 1 9 33 28 23 63
4 Luton Town 36 16 12 8 44 34 18 6 8 4 23 19 18 10 4 4 21 15 10 60
5 Blackburn Rovers 36 18 4 14 41 41 17 12 1 4 23 13 19 6 3 10 18 28 0 58
6 Millwall 36 16 9 11 46 38 17 9 5 3 27 15 19 7 4 8 19 23 8 57
7 Norwich City 35 16 7 12 51 39 18 8 4 6 27 21 17 8 3 6 24 18 12 55
8 West Bromwich Albion 36 15 9 12 46 38 19 10 5 4 26 15 17 5 4 8 20 23 8 54
9 Coventry City 36 14 11 11 42 35 19 9 6 4 24 17 17 5 5 7 18 18 7 53
10 Watford 36 13 12 11 41 39 17 8 5 4 24 16 19 5 7 7 17 23 2 51
11 Preston North End 36 13 11 12 32 38 19 5 6 8 14 22 17 8 5 4 18 16 -6 50
12 Sunderland 35 13 10 12 50 43 17 6 5 6 22 22 18 7 5 6 28 21 7 49
13 Bristol City 36 12 12 12 45 43 19 8 5 6 24 18 17 4 7 6 21 25 2 48
14 Stoke City 36 13 7 16 47 44 18 6 4 8 23 21 18 7 3 8 24 23 3 46
15 Hull City 36 12 10 14 41 49 18 7 4 7 20 23 18 5 6 7 21 26 -8 46
16 Reading 36 13 5 18 38 55 18 10 3 5 27 20 18 3 2 13 11 35 -17 44
17 Swansea City 36 11 10 15 48 55 18 7 3 8 28 28 18 4 7 7 20 27 -7 43
18 Birmingham City 36 11 9 16 41 47 19 6 5 8 22 21 17 5 4 8 19 26 -6 42
19 Queens Park Rangers 36 11 9 16 37 52 18 6 4 8 20 26 18 5 5 8 17 26 -15 42
20 Rotherham United 36 9 13 14 40 49 17 7 5 5 29 21 19 2 8 9 11 28 -9 40
21 Cardiff City 36 10 8 18 27 40 18 6 5 7 15 16 18 4 3 11 12 24 -13 38
22 Blackpool 36 7 11 18 33 53 17 4 6 7 17 21 19 3 5 11 16 32 -20 32
23 Huddersfield Town 36 8 8 20 30 52 18 6 4 8 16 20 18 2 4 12 14 32 -22 32
24 Wigan Athletic 36 7 11 18 31 57 18 3 5 10 13 31 18 4 6 8 18 26 -26 32

Middlesbrough:
Stoke 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 Burnley 36 23 11 2 71 28 19 14 5 0 43 13 17 9 6 2 28 15 43 80
2 Sheffield United 36 20 7 9 56 32 18 11 3 4 35 17 18 9 4 5 21 15 24 67
3 Middlesbrough 36 19 6 11 64 41 17 10 5 2 31 13 19 9 1 9 33 28 23 63
4 Luton Town 36 16 12 8 44 34 18 6 8 4 23 19 18 10 4 4 21 15 10 60
5 Blackburn Rovers 36 18 4 14 41 41 17 12 1 4 23 13 19 6 3 10 18 28 0 58
6 Millwall 36 16 9 11 46 38 17 9 5 3 27 15 19 7 4 8 19 23 8 57
7 Norwich City 35 16 7 12 51 39 18 8 4 6 27 21 17 8 3 6 24 18 12 55
8 West Bromwich Albion 36 15 9 12 46 38 19 10 5 4 26 15 17 5 4 8 20 23 8 54
9 Coventry City 36 14 11 11 42 35 19 9 6 4 24 17 17 5 5 7 18 18 7 53
10 Watford 36 13 12 11 41 39 17 8 5 4 24 16 19 5 7 7 17 23 2 51
11 Preston North End 36 13 11 12 32 38 19 5 6 8 14 22 17 8 5 4 18 16 -6 50
12 Sunderland 35 13 10 12 50 43 17 6 5 6 22 22 18 7 5 6 28 21 7 49
13 Bristol City 36 12 12 12 45 43 19 8 5 6 24 18 17 4 7 6 21 25 2 48
14 Stoke City 36 13 7 16 47 44 18 6 4 8 23 21 18 7 3 8 24 23 3 46
15 Hull City 36 12 10 14 41 49 18 7 4 7 20 23 18 5 6 7 21 26 -8 46
16 Reading 36 13 5 18 38 55 18 10 3 5 27 20 18 3 2 13 11 35 -17 44
17 Swansea City 36 11 10 15 48 55 18 7 3 8 28 28 18 4 7 7 20 27 -7 43
18 Birmingham City 36 11 9 16 41 47 19 6 5 8 22 21 17 5 4 8 19 26 -6 42
19 Queens Park Rangers 36 11 9 16 37 52 18 6 4 8 20 26 18 5 5 8 17 26 -15 42
20 Rotherham United 36 9 13 14 40 49 17 7 5 5 29 21 19 2 8 9 11 28 -9 40
21 Cardiff City 36 10 8 18 27 40 18 6 5 7 15 16 18 4 3 11 12 24 -13 38
22 Blackpool 36 7 11 18 33 53 17 4 6 7 17 21 19 3 5 11 16 32 -20 32
23 Huddersfield Town 36 8 8 20 30 52 18 6 4 8 16 20 18 2 4 12 14 32 -22 32
24 Wigan Athletic 36 7 11 18 31 57 18 3 5 10 13 31 18 4 6 8 18 26 -26 32

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.