Coventry vs Middlesbrough prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-08-11 11:30.
The Sky cameras will descend upon the Coventry Building Society Arena for one of last season’s most frequently played and eye-catching fixtures for a number of reasons. Coventry City notched their first league win at the seventh attempt in the 2022/23 campaign in this contest, which was the first of four H2Hs in the season, and the victory also spelt the end of Chris Wilder’s reign as Middlesbrough manager.
Last season’s beaten play-off finalists are in a similar situation this time around after losing their season opener against Leicester by way of two late goals, so they once again have the opportunity to open their account against Boro. A home return could be a boost for the Sky Blues, who had to play six of their opening seven games away last season due to pitch issues before going on to notch an impressive 78% home league unbeaten rate.
Revenge will be on the cards for Middlesbrough after their defeat on the final day of last season set up a play-off date with Coventry, which they lost 1-0 over two legs. But that aforementioned first H2H defeat did open the door for Michael Carrick to take the reins, a change which stimulated a rise from 21st all the way up to their impressive fourth-place finish.
In a similar fashion to their hosts, Boro were narrowly beaten on the opening day, a 1-0 home defeat to Millwall despite boasting two-thirds of the possession and more goal attempts. They did at least bounce back with a morale-boosting come-from-behind 3-2 Carabao Cup win at Huddersfield in midweek, a result which saw them pick up their first victory in seven competitive outings (D2, L4).
Players to watch: Coventry’s Gustavo Hamer set up their opener last time out and also scored both of his side’s goals in their three-game series against Middlesbrough at the back end of last season. There were no standout performers in Boro’s opening game, but tenacious central midfielder Jonny Howson notched an incredible 700th career club appearance in Boro's 3-2 midweek win in the Carabao Cup against Huddersfield.
Hot stat: There were fewer than three goals in seven of the eight H2H clashes since the turn of the decade.