Derby County
- Middlesbrough are 2nd in the Championship table with 43 points from 23 games, whilst Derby County sit 11th with 32 points from 23 games.
- Derby County on the other hand have picked up just one victory in their last five (W1, D3, L1), with back-to-back 1-1 draws with Portsmouth and Birmingham City keeping them in their 11th-place position in the table.
Middlesbrough
The Teessiders have picked up three wins, one draw and suffered one defeat in their last five games (W3, D1, L1), including a 3-1 home victory over QPR and a solid 0-0 draw against Blackburn Rovers last time out.
Head-to-Head
The main selection won in 2 of the last 3 Championship H2Hs between these sides (D0).
Key Players
- Boro will look to flood the flanks, with their wingbacks creating chances and allowing their front three to press and play at pace.
- A 3-4-2-1 or 3-5-2 can be expected from Hellberg’s men, with the width, verticality and pressing intensity of the Teessiders looking to create overloads in wide areas.
- John Eustace is much more concerned about structure, set pieces and transitions than maintaining possession.
- Derby will look to stay compact in a 4-2-3-1 and hit Boro on the counterattack, where they can hurt with Carlton Morris’s pace.
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Players to watch:
- With Morris toying with the Derby defense in the Championship, the Rams should have a consistent threat up front with 10 goals in 16 appearances this season, whilst Patrick Agyemang has made an impact recently, scoring three of Derby’s last five goals.
- Morgan Whittaker has been Middlesbrough’s main man with eight goals in 22 games and has scored three in the last five.
Betting Insights
- Middlesbrough are a slight favorite here at 2.34 to win against Derby County, who are priced at 3.05 for the win.
- We’re going against the odds and taking the Under 2.5 goals line at 1.7.
- Derby’s home record in the Championship is underwhelming to say the least (W3, D5, L4) whilst they’re averaging just 1.25 goals per home game.
- Boro are solid travellers (W5, D4, L3) and have conceded just 14 goals on their travels.
Prediction
- Boro should have the quality to take the win here, although Derby are strong on home turf so it should be a tight contest.
- Expect a low-scoring affair with the Under 2.5 selection offering value.
