Middlesbrough welcome Sunderland to the Riverside this weekend, where they will look to make up ground on their opponent. Earlier this season, Boro defeated the Black Cats by a huge 4-0 score line after a first-half red card for Dan Niel.
Middlesbrough
Boro’s form has been far too inconsistent this season for a side with so much quality. They’ve won just two of their last five matches, with their latest Championship match being a frustrating 1-1 home draw against Rotherham. They were also pulled apart by Chelsea in the EFL Cup by an embarrassing 6-1 score line.
Nonetheless, they’re 11th in the table with 40 points, which is only four behind sixth-place Coventry with a game in hand. Michael Carrick’s team has been relatively dangerous in the final third, scoring 1.5 goals per game, but they’ve also conceded 1.46.
Sunderland
The Black Cats have also won just two of their last five, but they both came at home. Last weekend was the Abdoullah Ba show, as the 20-year-old scored and provided two assists. Sunderland went on to beat Stoke 3-1 in a nervy game.
Despite being inconsistent, they’re still seventh in the table and very much in contention for a playoff spot. Sunderland’s defence is among the best in the division, as they’ve only conceded 1.10 goals on average, the joint-fourth-best defensive record. However, their attack has been underperforming, as they only net 1.38 times per game.
Verdict?
This game should be tight, like it always is, with very little separating the two teams.
There could also be an edge to the game, with it being feisty historically.
The final prediction is Middlesbrough 0-1 Sunderland.
