Middlesbrough FC prepares to face West Bromwich Albion FC

As Middlesbrough FC prepares to face West Bromwich Albion FC in the Championship, both teams come into this encounter with similar recent form, having accrued six points from their last five matches. Notably, Middlesbrough holds a strong record at home, remaining unbeaten in their last five fixtures. They will aim to maintain this streak against a West Bromwich side that has found success on the road, similarly unbeaten in their last two away games.

Middlesbrough has shown resilience, losing just once in their last five outings, but they have been prone to drawing matches, with three of those last five ending level. On the scoring front, they have netted six times in the same span, indicating a moderate attacking presence. Importantly, the ‘Both Teams to Score’ (BTTS) trend has landed in three of their recent matches, suggesting defensive vulnerabilities that West Bromwich Albion could exploit.

West Bromwich Albion, meanwhile, enters this clash with a greater propensity for scoring both for and against, having seen BTTS occur in their last five games. Their offensive streak is impressive, finding the net in each of their last five road encounters. However, maintaining this scoring run will be crucial if they are to challenge Middlesbrough’s home robustness.

Historically, matches between these two sides have been closely contested, with West Bromwich Albion slightly edging the historical head-to-head record, having won seven of their 17 recent meetings compared to Middlesbrough’s six victories. The average goals tally of past duels stands at 2.29, hinting at the potential for a moderately open game.

Given the current form, the likelihood of both teams finding the back of the net is high, especially considering West Bromwich’s potent away scoring and Middlesbrough’s need to defend their unbeaten home run. A score draw seems plausible, aligning well with their previous meeting’s 1-1 outcome. Expect a competitive tie, with possible goal-scoring opportunities for both sides.

Insights

• Both teams come into this match with identical recent form, collecting 6 points from their last 5 games, indicating inconsistency in performance.
• Middlesbrough FC enjoys an unbeaten streak at home, with their last 5 home games without a loss, hinting at home advantage.
• West Bromwich Albion FC has shown strong form away from home, remaining unbeaten in their last 2 away fixtures.
• Both teams tend to participate in games where both teams score, with West Bromwich Albion having a higher occurrence (56% of matches) compared to Middlesbrough (52% of matches).
• West Bromwich Albion has scored in their last 10 matches overall and in each of their last 5 away games, suggesting a consistent scoring threat on the road.
• Middlesbrough has drawn 3 of their last 5 matches, indicating they might struggle to close out games for victories.
• The last encounter between the two teams ended in a 1-1 draw, showing a competitive history.
• Middlesbrough’s home form is average compared to West Bromwich’s overall good away performance, making this upcoming match potentially well-matched.
• Historically, matches between Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion average 2.29 goals, suggesting a moderate scoring trend.
• West Bromwich’s recent games show a higher likelihood of over 2 goals, with their last 10 games experiencing at least 2 goals.
• The evenly matched statistics in previous meetings (6 wins for Middlesbrough, 7 for West Bromwich, and 4 draws) indicate a well-balanced rivalry.

Match Forecast

• Middlesbrough FC may use their strong wing play to create scoring opportunities, given their ability to attack down the wings and create scoring chances.
• West Bromwich Albion FC could capitalize on Middlesbrough FC’s weak defense of aerial duels, potentially utilizing set pieces and direct free kicks to score.
• Middlesbrough FC’s vulnerability to individual errors might be exploited by West Bromwich Albion’s individual skill in creating chances.
• West Bromwich Albion’s strong protection of a lead could be decisive if they score first, especially given Middlesbrough’s struggles in maintaining a lead.
• Both teams may demonstrate strong possession football with short passing due to their similar play styles, potentially leading to a tightly contested midfield battle.
• Middlesbrough’s occasional use of the offside trap could result in offside calls, potentially disrupting their attacking flow due to their very weak ability to avoid offsides.
• West Bromwich Albion’s stability in a consistent first eleven might provide them with better team cohesion and understanding on the pitch.
• Given Middlesbrough’s very weak ability in avoiding individual errors, West Brom may attempt to press aggressively at certain moments to force mistakes.

Match Facts

• The most frequent scoreline when Middlesbrough FC hosts West Bromwich Albion is 1-0, occurring in three matches.
• The most common result overall between Middlesbrough FC and West Bromwich Albion is a 1-1 draw, happening five times.
• In the last 15 home games for Middlesbrough FC against West Bromwich Albion, Middlesbrough has won 8 times, drawn 4, and lost 3, with a goal difference of 23-15 favoring Middlesbrough.
• Of the last 31 encounters, Middlesbrough FC has secured 14 wins, 8 draws, while West Bromwich Albion has won 9 times; goal difference favors Middlesbrough FC 42-36.
• West Bromwich Albion last triumphed away at Middlesbrough FC in 2019.
• Last season’s fixtures ended 1-0 to Middlesbrough FC at home, and 4-2 to West Bromwich Albion at home.
• Middlesbrough FC scores 28% of their goals between 76 and 90 minutes.
• West Bromwich Albion scores 28% of their goals between 31 and 45 minutes.
• Middlesbrough FC has gone four successive home matches without a win.
• West Bromwich Albion has not secured a victory in their past seven away games.
• Middlesbrough FC has not been defeated by West Bromwich Albion in their last three home meetings.
• Middlesbrough FC failed to score in 4 out of their 14 home Championship games this season.
• West Bromwich Albion failed to score in 2 out of their 14 away Championship games this season.
• West Bromwich Albion holds an away record of 4 wins, 7 draws, and 3 losses this season.
• Emmanuel Latte Lath leads Middlesbrough FC scoring with 10 goals, while Josh Maja leads with 12 goals for West Bromwich Albion.
• Finn Azaz has the most assists for Middlesbrough FC with 9, while Tom Fellows leads West Bromwich Albion also with 9 assists.
• George Edmundson has received 7 yellow cards for Middlesbrough FC, matched by Jayson Molumby for West Bromwich Albion.
• Middlesbrough FC was ranked 12th with 36 points a year ago; they are now 6th with 41 points.
• West Bromwich Albion has conceded goals in each of their past five matches.
• West Bromwich Albion has scored in 10 consecutive matches.
• Middlesbrough FC wins the first half in 32% of matches, while West Bromwich Albion does so in 35%.
• Middlesbrough FC’s overall halftime win rate is 32%, compared to West Bromwich Albion’s 35%.
• The latest match between the two teams ended in victory for Middlesbrough FC.
• The last encounter saw Middlesbrough FC win by one goal.
• Middlesbrough FC wins 68% of home matches when leading 1-0.
• West Bromwich Albion wins 33% of their away matches when leading 0-1.
• Middlesbrough FC wins 11% of home matches when trailing 0-1.
• West Bromwich Albion wins 14% of away matches when down 1-0.
• West Bromwich Albion currently performs better in the Championship than Middlesbrough FC.
• Middlesbrough FC’s recent performance over the last 5 games is superior to West Bromwich Albion’s.
• In their last 5 head-to-head games, Middlesbrough FC and West Bromwich Albion both won twice, with one draw.
• On average, Middlesbrough FC scores 1 goal per match against West Bromwich Albion, while West Bromwich Albion averages 1.4 goals against Middlesbrough.
• The average goal tally in matches between Middlesbrough FC and West Bromwich Albion is 2.4.
• First-half goals average 1.4 in clashes between the two teams.
• Neither team won their latest Championship match; both suffered losses.
• On average, Middlesbrough FC scores 1.44 goals at home, whereas West Bromwich Albion scores 1.41 when away.