With Leeds top and four points clear after Tuesday’s matches, Middlesbrough welcome Bolton Wanderers to The Riverside Stadium for a pivotal Sky Bet Championship clash as both teams look to get their promotion bids back on track.
Team news
Middlesbrough have a full squad available except for long term absentee, Rudy Gestede who is still out with an ankle injury.
Bolton will be without winger, Sammy Ameobi after the ex Newcastle star injured his ankle in Saturday’s defeat to QPR.
Form
Boro suffered their first defeat of season last time out, losing 1-0 at Norwich City but are unbeaten at home still across all competitions with five wins from five games.
Saturday’s loss also ended a run of five consecutive clean sheets since the opening weekend draw at Millwall.
Bolton meanwhile have dipped in form after taking 10 points from their opening four games but are still unbeaten on the road.
In their last three matches, the Trotters have claimed just one point after a 2-2 draw at Preston North End.
Stat Attack
- Middlesbrough are unbeaten in last eight against Bolton (W7, D1).
- During that run, they have kept five clean sheets against Bolton.
- Four meetings this decade have finished 2-1 with three of those results coming at Bolton’s ground.
- Britt Assombalonga scored three goals across both of last season’s meetings between these sides for Middlesbrough.
- Bolton’s last goal at The Riverside came in October 2012 when Lee Chung-yong scored in 42nd minute of a 2-1 defeat.
Prediction
Both sides suffered defeats at weekend but Boro had been the strongest up till then and haven’t conceded here against Bolton in nearly six years.
I am therefore going for a Boro win here with a clean sheet.
Prediction: Middlesbrough 1-0 Bolton Wanderers