Middlesbrough vs Birmingham prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-10-20 14:00.
After opening the 2023/24 campaign with just two wins from their opening nine competitive games (W2, D2, L5), Middlesbrough put together a blistering run of five straight wins leading into the international break. The pressure has certainly alleviated from boss Michael Carrick, who had posted Boro’s worst ever start to a league season outside of the top-flight earlier in the campaign.
That positive run was capped off in the finest possible manner after Boro posted a record-equalling 4-0 win in the Wear-Tees derby in the last round. The confidence gained from that will do Carrick a world of good as he prepares to face Birmingham City, managed by the man he had played more games with (366) than anyone else during his glittering career, Wayne Rooney.
Rooney also hasn’t played more games with anyone than Carrick, yet the pair only ever combined for three goals! That total could be eclipsed in this game as the Blues headed into the international break on the back of consecutive wins featuring four and five goals respectively. Rooney will remember his first steps into management well as his second ever game at the helm for first club Derby was Middlesbrough away, ending in a demoralising 3-0 defeat.
The pressure will be on immediately for Rooney, with previous boss John Eustace dismissed despite the Blues sitting in the Championship play-off places over the international break. With promotion to the Premier League for the first time in over a decade the ultimate goal, holding onto that top-six berth will be imperative to the new ownership group, but doing so in the short-term likely depends on ending a run of three consecutive away league defeats.
Players to watch: Boro’s midfield starlet Hayden Hackney pulled the strings for England U21s during the break as they recorded a record-equalling 9-1 win over Serbia. Trying to outdo him in midfield may be Birmingham’s Koji Miyoshi, who has directly contributed to four goals in 11 league games since his move to the club (G2, A2), each of which came in victories.
Hot stat: Middlesbrough have scored four of their five home league goals this season after half-time.