After battling to a stalemate in the first meeting, Middlesbrough and Coventry City have it all to play for as they square off in their Championship playoff semi-final second leg. Having done some of their best work at the Riverside Stadium this season, Boro will be confident of claiming the upper hand on Wednesday.
Middlesbrough will feel they are in control of this tie after holding out for a 0-0 draw in the first meeting. They posed the greater threat going forward and were also more solid at the back, preventing the hosts from registering a single attempt on target.
Manager Michael Carrick will be pleased with that performance as it was a significant improvement on their showings on the road lately. Although Boro are still winless in their last four matches, they will be confident of finishing the job at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday.
The Riverside Stadium has been a great hunting ground for Middlesbrough, who have lost just once in their last 11 home matches. They have claimed 11 wins in that run, although their last fixture in front of their fans was a 1-1 draw with Coventry City.
Although manager Mark Robins says there is still everything to play for, he will be disappointed with Coventry City’s performance in the first leg. They failed to pose much of an attacking threat with top scorer Viktor Gyokeres subdued throughout the encounter.
The tie is indeed far from over and Coventry City will genuinely believe they have a chance of claiming the upper hand on Wednesday. The Sky Blues have lost just once in their last 10 matches, although they have only claimed four wins in that run.
Coventry City will go into Wednesday’s clash looking to build on their recent record on the road having gone unbeaten in their last nine away matches. However, a closer look reveals a string of erratic displays in that run, which has produced just four wins and five draws.
How the bookies view it
Middlesbrough have the upper hand among the bookies with a home win priced at 19/20 by bet365. A victory for Coventry City is valued at 7/2 by bet365 while William Hill is offering odds of 13/5 for a draw.
Recent head to head
Middlesbrough and Coventry City have served up closely fought encounters lately with the last two meetings ending in draws. However, Boro are unbeaten in the last three fixtures at the Riverside Stadium, claiming two wins in that run.
Players to watch
Chuba Akpom was not at his best in the first meeting and will be seeking an improved performance on Wednesday. With 28 goals during the regular season, the forward remains the one to watch for Middlesbrough and is priced at 8/5 by William Hill to find the net.
After keeping Viktor Gyokeres quiet in the first meeting, central defensive duo of Darragh Lenihan and Paddy McNair will be targeting a similar performance in the second leg. They can lead the hosts to another clean sheet at 7/4 with Coral.
Anything else catch the eye?
Recent meetings between Middlesbrough and Coventry City have been tight and a similar outcome could be on the cards on Wednesday. Having battled to a 0-0 draw on Sunday, BTTS NO could be considered at 23/20 with BetVictor.
The last five meetings have produced under 2.5 goals, which is priced at 19/20 by Coral. Middlesbrough have won to nil in two of the last three meetings with Coventry City and a repeat is valued at 12/5 by BetVictor.
This England Championship match between Middlesbrough and Coventry City will be played on May 17, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Middlesbrough vs Coventry City prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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