Middlesbrough vs Cardiff prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2022-09-12 18:45.
Middlesbrough, along with the rest of English football, have been out of action since last week due to the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Boro boss Chris Wilder has been preparing his men as usual ahead of this clash though, and with the late arrival of free agent Massimo Luongo, more time to bed the midfielder in could prove beneficial ahead of Cardiff’s visit to Teesside.
There are finally signs of life for Boro, having followed up a winless six-game start to the season with two wins from their last three games (L1). Only two sides have conceded more goals in the final 15 minutes of Championship games than Boro’s three, but with a first clean sheet in 11 competitive games last time out, Wilder hailed the “change in mindset” that his side displayed in their 1-0 Tees-Wear derby win.
In contrast, Cardiff boss Steve Morison recently blasted his players for having a “soft underbelly” following their 2-0 defeat at Millwall in their last outing. That result leaves Cardiff on a run of five games without a victory (D2, L3), and the Bluebirds come into this round occupying the final relegation spot despite Morison’s prior claims of a possible promotion push.
Ever since taking the lead in the fourth minute of their first away league trip of the season against Reading, it’s all gone downhill for the travelling Bluebirds. Cardiff have now conceded six straight away league goals since and have scored none themselves across the last 356 minutes of away play – the first time they’ve played three Championship away games without scoring in over five years!
Players to watch: Matt Crooks has scored at least twice as many Championship goals at the Riverside than any other Middlesbrough player since the start of 2021/22 (G10). In a strange quirk of fate, four of Cardiff’s Romaine Sawyers’ last five scoring appearances came in 2-1 defeats!
Hot stat: Five of Cardiff’s eight league goals conceded this season came after the hour mark.