Middlesbrough will be aiming to pull themselves further away from the Championship relegation zone when they take on managerless Bristol City at the Riverside Stadium.
With four games to go until the season’s end, the Boro are still at risk of falling into League One.
Bristol City Visit Relegation-Threatened Middlesbrough
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Neil Warnock has had a mixed start to his tenure as Middlesbrough manager, after replacing Jonathan Woodgate in the role towards the end of June. Since the 71-year-old took charge, they have picked up six points from four matches, courtesy of wins against Stoke City and Millwall. However, there were two straight defeats suffered in between those victories.
Strikers Britt Assombalonga and Ashley Fletcher stepped up to the mark at The Den with a goal each to dent Millwall’s play-off ambitions, but most importantly to lift Warnock’s men out of the drop zone. Ahead of the Robins’ visit to the Riverside, Boro sit on 47 points, two clear of 22nd placed Hull City.
Bristol City did Middlesbrough a big favour in midweek, as they defeated Hull 2-1 at Ashton Gate, ending a run of nine league games without a win. Such a downturn in form resulted in Lee Johnson being sacked as head coach prior to the meeting with the Tigers, after over four years in the position.
Currently in caretaker charge of the Robins is Dean Holden, who is likely to remain in the post until the end of the season. A late push for the top six is still mathematically possible, as Holden’s side are six points adrift with four games left. However, in reality, it is very unlikely that they will be able to make the play-offs, as there are several other teams in a stronger position.
Previous Meeting
When these two sides met in August last year, they played out a 2-2 draw. Middlesbrough overturned a one-goal deficit to go 2-1 in front in the second half. Robins winger Tommy Rowe then netted with nine minutes of normal time left to ensure it ended all square.
Team News
Robins defender Ashley Williams will miss the trip to the North East as he serves the third game of a four-match suspension. Pedro Pereira and Niki Maenpaa are both also unavailable through injury.
Middlesbrough’s only injury concern is Spanish defender Daniel Ayala, who has not played since New Year’s Day due to a problem with his ankle.
Prediction
Middlesbrough were under big pressure to get a result in their most recent game against Millwall and they handled it very well, which is a good sign as they approach another crucial clash.
While Bristol City produced a good performance to see off Hull at Ashton Gate in midweek, Warnock’s Boro should provide a sterner test. The Robins have collected a decent 29 points on the road so far this term, but their last away victory was on February 1.
Prediction: Middlesbrough 2-1 Bristol City
Main Photo
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