Bournemouth welcome Middlesbrough to the Vitality Stadium in a massive Good Friday showdown in the race for promotion.
With Championship leaders, Fulham not in action until Friday evening, Bournemouth can cut their deficit down to seven points with a win.
Middlesbrough meanwhile can climb as high as fifth with victory if Blackburn, Sheffield United and Luton all lose elsewhere.
Team News
Jordan Zemura is ruled out for Bournemouth after suffering a hamstring injury in last Saturday’s goalless draw at Sheffield United.
Kieffer Moore (foot), Junior Stanislas (hamstring) and David Brooks (illness) remain absent.
Middlesbrough will be without Dael Fry after the defender suffered a calf injury in last weekend’s defeat against Hull City.
Isiah Jones (illness) is set to return but Martin Payero (ankle), Sammy Ameobi and Darnell Fisher (both knee) remain ruled out.
Stat Attack
- Bournemouth are unbeaten in three of their last five league meetings against Middlesbrough (W2, D1, L2).
- Middlesbrough have won just one of ten previous away trips to Bournemouth (W1, D4, L5).
- Bournemouth have beaten Middlesbrough 3-1 in their last two meetings at the Vitality Stadium across all competitions.
- Bournemouth have kept just one clean sheet in their last seven home matches in the Sky Bet Championship (W4, D2, L1).
- Boro’s Matt Crooks has been involved in 10 goals this season, in which he scored eight goals and provided two assists.
Prediction
Having fought their way to a goalless draw at Sheffield United despite not being at their best, Bournemouth certainly did well defensively but there surely has to be some slight concern regarding their failure to score in two matches given how tight the run-in is in the fight for the second promotion spot.
Boro meanwhile simply lacked a clinical edge despite largely dominating in their loss to Hull but can take heart from how they have lost their last two matches by a single goal, despite lacking that final touch which needs to change now if they want a top six finish.
I am therefore expecting a difficult encounter between two teams who both need a win here but if Boro can find that penetrating edge and Bournemouth continue to be wasteful, the first goal could be crucial along with defending from both teams.
Prediction: Bournemouth 1-1 Middlesbrough
Result: Bournemouth 0-0 Middlesbrough