Hull vs Middlesbrough LIVE: Championship play-off match stream, latest score, goal updates and fan reaction | OneFootball

The richest game in English football is back with a place in the Premier League at stake

Hull City face Middlesbrough this afternoon in the Championship play-off final. This is a game that has been enveloped in controversy for the past 10 days, with Southampton expelled from the season finale for spying on Boro ahead of their play-off semi-final. The Saints beat Kim Hellberg’s side 2-1 on aggregate, thanks to Ross Steward and Shea Charles’ goals at St Mary’s Stadium in the second leg.

Live updates

2 minutes ago

Boro fans take over Trafalgar Square

Thousands of Middlesbrough fans turned Trafalgar Square into a sea of red ahead of Saturday’s Championship play-offs final against Hull City.

Huge crowds of supporters swarmed the central London attraction on Friday evening, setting off flares and chanting songs.

Read the full story here!

23 minutes ago

Arrivals!

31 minutes ago

Key men

Who are the two sides’ big stars to watch out for this afternoon?

For the Tigers, it’s Mohamed Belloumi, who is the tricky creator for Jakirovic’s side. A diminuative No10, he will pick up the ball in tight areas and aim to jink between bodies in search of pockets of space before looking to feed Liam Millar and Oli McBurnie.

For Boro, Morgan Whittaker is the man that makes things happen. He has 14 goals and six assists this term for the club, while lone ranger up top David Strelec is the battering ram, clearing the way for Whittaker to weave his magic.

38 minutes ago

3-5-2 vs 3-5-2?

That’s what it’s looking like from both managers with those team selections.

For Hull, reasonable with their lack of out and out wide men, while for Boro, they have the natural wingers in their ranks, but Hellberg has plumped for the narrower shape.

The key absentee here is Tommy Conway, who has hit 13 goals this term, with an ankle injury, perhaps forcing the Boro boss’ hand.

Instead, he’s gone for Alan Browne from the off for a bit more bite in the middle of the park, while Riley McGree, who scored against Southampton at St Mary’s, will have the licence to get up and down in support of Whittaker and Strelec.

51 minutes ago

Hull lineup

Hull XI: Pandur; Coyle, Egan, Ajayi, Hughes, Giles; Slater, Crooks, Belloumi; Millar, McBurnie

Subs: Phillips, Drameh, Lundstram, Dowell, Hadziahmetovic, Koumas, McNair, Gelhardt, Hirakawa

57 minutes ago

More drama!

Hull could take legal action should they lose this afternoon, the club owner has said.

The Tigers have had limited time to prepare to face Boro today, initially thinking that they would be taking on Southampton before the Saints were expelled for ‘Spygate’.

Read the full story here!

1 hour ago

Southampton's 'Spygate' statement

The Saints were not happy to learn that they had been pulled out of the play-offs after their semi-final victory.

They released a statement shortly after the EFL had passed their initial verdict...

1 hour ago

Southampton learn appeal verdict

Southampton appealed against the EFL’s decision to expel them from the play-offs and deduct them points next season.

Find out here!