Birmingham vs Middlesbrough prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2024-03-11 19:45.
[p]The threat of relegation looms large for Birmingham City, who will enter the final ten-game stretch of their Championship season just one point above the drop zone following their frustrating four-game winless run (D1, L3). Caretaker Blues boss Mark Venus has targeted this home game against an improving Middlesbrough as one they “have to get something” from in their fight for survival.[/p]
[p]A home return will be most welcome for the Blues, who have had to take to the road in three of their last four outings. They are unbeaten in five of their last six competitive games here (W3, D2), form they’ll need to lean on as they certainly won’t have the psychological edge after losing four straight H2Hs against Boro. In fact, a fifth league H2H defeat in succession would mark Birmingham’s worst ever run of form in this fixture.[/p]
[p]Such an outcome would suit Boro down to the ground, after back-to-back Championship victories has kept the faint flame of Middlesbrough’s promotion hopes flickering as they head into the final stretch. Both of Boro’s recent victories came with two-goal margins, yet two wins are as many as they had managed to put together in nine games prior to their revival, while they haven’t strung together three straight league wins since October. [/p]
[p]A victory here would see Middlesbrough move to within five points of the top-six and one may argue that this is unlikely to end level whatever the outcome, as Michael Carrick’s men haven’t played out a travelling stalemate across their previous 12 competitive trips (W6, L6). Encouragingly, the same can be said of Middlesbrough’s last six trips to face Birmingham (W5, L1), with the Teessiders posting multi-goal winning margins in the last three. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Birmingham’s Koji Miyoshi has the opportunity to become the first player to score in three straight home league games for the club since Lukas Jutkiewicz – who also played for Boro – did it in 2019. As for Middlesbrough, Emmanuel Latte Lath has the chance to score in three straight games for the first time since a run of four games to end his stay at previous club, St Gallen. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Since their last relegation, Middlesbrough have beaten Birmingham more often than any other opponent in league action (W9, D1, L3). [/p]