2019-20 Sky Bet Championship: Week 37 – Saturday

Charlton Athletic welcome Middlesbrough to The Valley in a crunch relegation showdown at the foot of the Sky Bet Championship. 

A win will see Charlton move four points clear of the last relegation spot which is occupied by Boro, who know that a win will lift them out of the bottom three and potentially drop the Addicks in depending on results elsewhere.

 

Team news

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Darren Pratley is set to be in contention for Charlton after recoverin from a back injury,, which had sidelined him for their last three matches.

Tom Lockyer (suspension) and Naby Sarr (calf) remain ruled out,

Middlesbrough will have strikers, Britt Assombalonga and Ashley Fletcher available after recovering from illness and a hamstring injury respectively.

Patrick Roberts (hamstring) and Dael Fry (thigh) will resume training next week but Daniel Ayala (ankle) is still a fortnight away from resuming first-team training. 

 

Form

Charlton enter this match with two wins from their last five games (W2, L3), although the Addicks have kept just one clean sheet in their last five home games. 

Middlesbrough head to East London without a win since New Year’s Day (D5, L5), plus no clean sheet since the festive period after conceding in each of their last ten league matches. 

 

Stat Attack

• Charlton have won just one of their last nine meetings against Middlesbrough (W1, D2, L6). 
• Middlesbrough are unbeaten in four of their last five trips to Charlton (W3, D1, L1). 
• Boro have taken the lead in just one of the last five games in which they scored points, which came from Lewis Wing in an eventual 2-2 home draw against Derby in January. 

 

Prediction

Defending is going to be key here because both teams have been poor at the back this season, especially Boro who have drastically declined under Jonathan Woodgate’s management. 

In fact, I am worried for the Teessiders because they are the Championship’s lowest goal scorers so Charlton will fancy taking the game to them, although first goal could well be key as to who wins. 

Boro however played well on Monday against Forest despite going behind, so if they can take the confidence from that performance and apply it here then this should be an away win. 

Prediction: Charlton 1-2 Middlesbrough

Result: Charlton 0-1 Middlesbrough