Stoke vs Middlesbrough prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2024-03-01 15:00.
The atmosphere has been rather sour around Stoke City after yet another defeat against a struggling Cardiff City side last weekend (2-1) saw the Potters continue their potential sleepwalk into the third tier. Under-fire boss Steven Schumacher conceded that the negative reaction from fans was “understandable” post-match, and he knows he will likely need a response here to both steer clear of a relegation dogfight while also preserving his own job.
Despite defeats in six of their last seven outings, Stoke do at least have the chance to record a first winning league double over Middlesbrough since 1993/94 after coming out on top 2-0 at the Riverside. Ultimately, that provides scant hope for a Stoke side who have scored just three goals across their last ten home league games, nine of which were winless attempts in front of a beleaguered home crowd (D4, L5).
Albeit not in immediate relegation trouble, many Middlesbrough fans wrote their own play-off hopes off after following up an impressive 2-1 win at Leicester with a sorry 2-0 home defeat against Plymouth, who had won just once away from home in league action prior to that. As a result, Boro entered this round with a staggering 11-point gap to the top six, one which is likely unassailable given their horrendous seven-game competitive form (D2, L4).
A number of injuries to key players have contributed to Middlesbrough’s downfall, yet they can travel here with cautious optimism after winning three of their last five away games. Any positive result may need at least a couple of goals, as Michael Carrick’s men have kept just two clean sheets across their last 41 away league games and none since their 4-0 win at Sunderland in October!
Players to watch: The 20-year-old Korean midfielder Joon-Ho Bae had a hand in two of Stoke’s only three goals across their last four matches (G1, A1), with his first goal in English football coming last weekend. Finn Azaz could provide an outlet for Middlesbrough after hitting goal contributions in three of their last four games (G2, A1), which includes a goal in their latest away victory.
Hot stat: Stoke are unbeaten in 17 of the last 19 home league H2H encounters (W10, D7).