Middlesbrough host Wrexham at the Riverside Stadium on Friday, kicking off at 8pm live on ITV1, in a Carabao Cup first round tie between two Championship sides looking to make an early statement at the start of the new campaign.
Middlesbrough finished fifth in the Championship last season under Kim Hellberg after the Swede arrived from Hammarby in November. Boro narrowly missed automatic promotion before eventually losing to Hull City in the play-off final after Southampton's disqualification.
Morgan Whittaker finished as the club's leading league scorer with 11 goals, and Middlesbrough have strengthened heavily during the summer with the arrivals of Sebastian Berhalter, Max Arfsten, Myles Peart-Harris, Will Lankshear, Jeremy Sarmiento and Kyle Joesph.
Wrexham also enjoyed another impressive campaign, finishing seventh, the highest league position in the club's history, but missing the play-offs by two points. Josh Windass led the scoring charts with 17 goals in all competitions. Phil Parkinson has only Danny Imray to a squad so far, but he continues to look to improve his squad with aspirations to challenge again.
Middlesbrough's preparations have been productive. A training camp in Portugal was followed by a 1-1 draw at Celtic before a behind-closed-doors defeat to Huddersfield Town. They rounded off preseason with an entertaining 3-3 draw against Espanyol, Leo Castledine scoring twice and Morgan Whittaker also finding the net, while Sebastian Berhalter impressed on his debut with two assists.
Wrexham's summer has arguably been more eye-catching. They drew with Wisła Krakow before victories over Manchester United and Leeds United, then pushed Liverpool and Sunderland all the way in narrow 1-0 defeats during their United States tour.
Danny Imray produced an encouraging display against Sunderland alongside Bailey Cadamarteri, but Parkinson admitted afterwards that giving the squad time to recover from the travel was now the priority. With a behind-closed-doors fixture against Wigan Athletic already scheduled for the following Monday, rotation looks a realistic possibility.
How the bookies view it
Middlesbrough are 4/5 favourites, implying a 55.6% chance of victory. The draw is priced at 29/10, implying 25.6%, while Wrexham are 16/5, implying 23.8%.
Both teams to score is available at 4/6, implying 60.0%, while over 2.5 goals is 8/11, implying 57.9%.
Head to head: History of draws
The clubs have never met in the Carabao Cup. Last season's Championship meetings both ended level, a 1-1 draw at the Riverside followed by a 2-2 draw at the Racecourse Ground, a result that ultimately ended Wrexham's play-off hopes.
Player to watch: Leo Castledine starting the season in fine form
Leo Castledine heads into the new season in excellent form after scoring twice against Espanyol in Middlesbrough's final preseason fixture.
The 20-year-old spent the first half of last season on loan at Huddersfield Town from Chelsea before completing a permanent move to Middlesbrough in January. Across the campaign he scored 12 goals and provided two assists in 37 appearances, registering 75 shots with 29 on target.
Opportunities were more limited after arriving at the Riverside, but he still scored against Bristol City and finished preseason full of confidence. His intelligent movement into the box gives Middlesbrough another attacking threat from midfield, and he looks well placed to make an immediate impact against Wrexham.
Predicted line ups
Middlesbrough (4-2-3-1): Brynn; Ayling, Malanda, Jones, Borges; Morris, Kante; Whittaker, Castledine, Burgzorg; Lankshear.
Wrexham (3-4-1-2): Ward; Vyner, Hyam, Doyle; Imray, Dobson, Thomason, Cacace; Rathbone; Hardie, Cadamarteri.
Anything else catch the eye?
There was little between these sides across two Championship meetings last season, but the circumstances surrounding this fixture are very different. Middlesbrough have enjoyed a settled build-up, gradually integrating a number of new arrivals while producing encouraging attacking displays against strong opposition. Castledine and Berhalter have already developed promising chemistry, while Whittaker remains the creative focal point.
Wrexham's performances in the United States were encouraging, but they also came at the end of a demanding travel schedule. Parkinson has already spoken about the need for rest after returning from America, and with another friendly arranged only days later, squad rotation appears more likely than risking key players in the opening round of the cup.
That difference in preparation gives Middlesbrough a meaningful edge. Home advantage, fresher legs and a productive preseason point towards the hosts beginning their competitive campaign with a victory. My preferred angle is Middlesbrough to win at 4/5.
GambleAware