Middlesbrough v Southampton: play-off contenders meet after matching 80-point seasons | OneFootball

Middlesbrough host Southampton in the Championship at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday, 9 May, with both teams coming off 80-point campaigns and looking to carry momentum into the promotion picture.

Middlesbrough finished fifth and Southampton fourth, both on 80 points. The recent head to head favoured the hosts: Middlesbrough won 4-0 in January after a 1-1 draw in September.

Boro's recent run shows a home defeat to Portsmouth followed by a win over Sheffield Wednesday, a 5-1 victory against Watford and draws at Ipswich and Wrexham. Saints won at Preston after draws with Ipswich and Bristol City, a win at Swansea and a defeat away to Manchester City.

Boro list Darragh Lenihan, Alan Browne, Alfie Jones and Alex Bangura as injured. Saints are without Alex McCarthy, Mads Roerslev and Kuryu Matsuki, which could influence options at both ends.

The Saints have scored 82 league goals and carry a clear aerial route, with 17 headed goals and 620 open play crosses at 18.39% accuracy. Boro may counter that with control and solidity, 59% possession, 84.61% pass accuracy, 13 clean sheets and 582 aerial duels won, while leaning on Morgan Whittaker and Tommy Conway, who have 14 and 13 league goals respectively. For Saints, Adam Armstrong and Finn Azaz both have 11, with Léo Scienza supplying 10 assists.

Saints sit fourth and Boro fifth in the table on 80 points. With the promotion play-offs looming, a strong display here could sharpen both sides' push.