Middlesbrough face West Bromwich Albion in a huge Bank Holiday weekend clash in the Championship.
Middlesbrough can move into the top eight with a win if results elsewhere swing in their favour, whilst West Brom can go top for at least a few hours with a win.
Team News
Adilson Malanda is available for Middlesbrough after he sat out their 3-1 Carabao Cup victory at Doncaster Rovers due to a knock.
New signing, Sam Byram is unlikely to start due to a lack of match fitness, having spent nearly two months without a club following his departure from Leeds United.
Tommy Conway is still sidelined with an ankle injury which required surgery at the end of last season, before he had another procedure to resolve a double hernia.
West Brom could hand new signing, Kareem Tunde his debut following his arrival from Levante.
Mikey Johnston is again ruled out after he missed their 3-2 Carabao Cup exit against Newcastle United due to a setback in his recovery from an ankle injury.
When is Kick-Off?
Middlesbrough host West Brom on Saturday 29 August at Riverside Stadium, live on ITV1, ITVX, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Middlesbrough have won their last five meetings against West Brom (W5).
- West Brom are winless in their last five league visits to Middlesbrough (D1, L4).
- Middlesbrough have scored twice in each of their last two home games against West Brom (W2), having won 2-0 in January 2025 then 2-1 in September that year.
- Boro’s Will Lankshear has converted three of his nine shots onto target in two league appearances this season, of which two of those three shots on target resulted in goals.
- West Brom are yet to keep a clean sheet in all competitions this season (W3, L1).
Prediction
Having blew a half-time lead at Blackburn last weekend through poor defending of headed goals, Middlesbrough certainly rebounded with a dominant cup win at Doncaster but this is probably their toughest early league test of their promotion credentials.
West Brom meanwhile certainly are looking a far stronger threat than they were in the second half of last season but are coming into this game off the back of a scrappy defeat at Newcastle where they certainly produced a lot of threat but were defensively outplayed in crucial moments.
Nevertheless this is shaping up to be a great battle between two strong attacking teams but the Riverside hasn’t exactly been an enjoyable hunting ground for West Brom lately, although I do think that they should be good for a point here.
Prediction: Middlesbrough 1-1 WBA
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