Last season’s promotion challengers, Middlesbrough and Millwall collide at the Riverside Stadium in a huge Sky Bet Championship clash.
Having missed out on promotion via the play-offs last season, Boro will be looking to start the season with a win as they look to challenge for automatic promotion.
Millwall meanwhile were denied a chance to feature in the play-offs after suffering dramatic final-day heartbreak at home to Blackburn in a tense seven-goal thriller, so will seek to build upon the positives of that campaign and launch their own promotion challenge.
Team News
Chuba Akpom is a doubt for Middlesbrough after failing to feature in pre-season as he continues to recover from a knee injury, which he suffered during Boro’s Play-Off semi-final against Coventry at end of last season.
Jonny Howson (unspecified), Tommy Smith (ankle), Anfernee Dijksteel (leg) and Josh Coburn (knee) picked up injuries during pre-season.
Seny Dieng is likely to start in goal ahead of Tom Glover and Jamie Jones as the trio of goalkeepers seek to make their debuts, whilst Rav van den Berg, Alex Gilbert, Morgan Rogers and Samuel Silvera will also be looking to make their first competitive start for Boro.
Matt Clarke remains absent with an on-going back injury which kept him out for much of last season.
Millwall have no fresh injury concerns to report coming into this match with a full squad available for selection.
Matija Sarkic, Joe Bryan, Wes Harding, Casper de Norre and Kevin Nisbet could all be in contention for their debuts.
When is Kick-Off?
Middlesbrough host Millwall on Saturday 5 August in a 3pm BST kick-off at Riverside Stadium, untelevised live in UK.
Stat Attack
- Middlesbrough have won just one of their last five meetings against Millwall (W1, D2, L2).
- Millwall are winless in their last seven visits to Middlesbrough (D3, L4).
- Boro have kept clean sheets in each of their last four wins at home to Millwall.
- Middlesbrough are winless in their last eight opening weekend fixtures (D6, L2).
- Gary Rowett’s Lions have avoided defeat in their last five opening weekend fixtures (W2, D3) since losing at Nottingham Forest in 2017.
Prediction
Although the end of last season proved difficult with just two wins in ten matches and a missed opportunity for promotion, Middlesbrough now have to reset and try and rediscover the spark which served them well for much of the mid-season phase last campaign.
Millwall meanwhile have recruited solidly with Nisbet in particularly already looking settled given his pre-season form, which he must bring into this game if the Lions are to end their winless rut away to Boro who don’t seem to start the season well in recent seasons.
Millwall’s defence though must be better this season because some sloppy goals in the final weeks of last season cost them a play-off spot, especially against Blackburn where their second-half game management was just poor at 3-1 up yet they blew that lead to lose the game and a play-off place.
On that note, both teams will have a point to prove so I do expect this to be a close contest, which might well end in a draw unless Nisbet proves the difference for Millwall such is his form coming into this match.
Prediction: Middlesbrough 1-1 Millwall
Result: Middlesbrough 0-1 Millwall
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