Tuesday 15th May 2018 Kick off 1945hrs Aston Villa v Middlesbrough Football – England – Championship This game appeared to be too close to call ahead of the first leg played at the Riverside on Saturday and although Aston Villa were able to take a crucial lead home with them, it still has the feeling of being a very tight encounter which could yet go either way. It’s been a long, gruelling season but both teams will hope this is the first of two games left and they will have to give their absolute all if it is to be successful.
Mile Jedinak was the unlikely hero for Villa on Saturday as his early goal proved to be decisive, but it was Jack Grealish who earned the plaudits for his performance. So often seen as being a luxury player who could be a liability, his display on Saturday was that of a mature and responsible professional which he has shown more often than not this term under Steve Bruce. As an avid Villa fan himself, Grealish will be desperate to get his team back into the Premier League but he, along with his team mates, will know the job is only half done. It was only a second win in their last six away games for Villa and it could not have come at a better time. Now taking them back to their own place – only Wolves and Cardiff won more home games in the league during the regular season – Bruce and his players will be hopeful they can see the game out.
There’s no doubt that Tony Pulis would have been bitterly disappointed with the first leg result as he’s a manager who has always went to huge efforts to ensure his teams are hard to beat at home. It was a second defeat in their last 10 games at home in the league but unfortunately for ‘Boro, it seems to be a continuation of what has happened throughout their season – losing to the teams around them at home. Villa, Fulham, Cardiff and Wolves all recorded wins at the Riverside which will be infuriating for Pulis but also indicative that they may just be short of the best teams in this year’s Championship. Now playing catch up, Middlesbrough will have to pull out a massive performance on their travels which is something they have not been known for this season. ‘Boro had the worst away record of any team in the top seven and travel to Villa Park with two wins in their last nine away games. It’s not the sort of form that would inspire confidence they can go to such a difficult venue and get the result they need but as we know by now, the playoffs tend not to follow form.
Aston Villa v Middlesbrough Betting Tip
Aston Villa and Middlesbrough have two of the biggest budgets in the Championship and everything off the field is of Premier League standard. Because of their financial muscle at this level they were both fancied to be challenging for automatic promotion, but in truth they never really translated that expectation into results and were always adrift of Wolves and Cardiff. It means they have probably been preparing for the playoffs for a few weeks longer than Fulham, perhaps, and the second leg is where it’s all going to count. It may be a stretch to say that these squads are good enough for the Premier League but there is a plethora of players on both sides who have a wealth of experience at the top level in England. John Terry is at the top of that list of course and his leadership qualities will be crucial for Villa in this sort of situation.
Games between these two have been notoriously tight this season with a goalless draw at Villa Park in the first league meeting before Villa recorded their first of two 1-0 victories at the Riverside. In between those games Middlesbrough did win 2-0 away in the League Cup and it’s that sort of performance and result they require if they are to be playing at Wembley next week in the final. Unfortunately for any ‘Boro fans reading this, however, is they may just come up short again. Villa have the defensive qualities to do enough and negotiate the second leg, although it’s unlikely to be a free-scoring affair. None of the four meetings have seen more than two goals scored and that trend is likely to continue on Tuesday.
Under 2.5 goals 13/20 Marathon Bet
