Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Championship match.
In midweek, Southampton faced Liverpool in a useful measure of their English Premier League credentials. The signs were broadly encouraging. Now the squad must take on league leaders Middlesbrough.
Southampton
Southampton narrowly lost to Liverpool in the third round of the EFL Cup (1:2), with the goals scored by the opponent’s recent signings, but the Championship campaign has been inconsistent. An English Premier League return looks distant for now: Southampton sit 19th and are ten points adrift of leaders Middlesbrough, and a 1:3 away defeat to Hull City in the last round only widened the gap. The second goal conceded was poorly defended: the opposing striker was left unmarked in the penalty area while two defenders were simply chasing back.
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough are delivering the best start in the club’s Championship history. The team have already collected 16 of a possible 18 points and have conceded only four times. They broke down Millwall’s deep defence for three goals, then capitalised on Sheffield United’s poor form (1:0). Finally, Round Six brought a serious test against West Bromwich Albion, but the team stayed on top. Nine attempts, four of them on target, were enough for a 2:1 win. Slovak striker David Strelec, who joined as the headline transfer from Slovan Bratislava, scored his first goal for his new team.
Southampton vs Middlesbrough Prediction
Middlesbrough will find Southampton a demanding assignment, but the squad have shown enough quality, organisation and momentum to win, or at the very least, avoid defeat.
