Middlesbrough vs Cardiff City
18th July 1500hrs
Football – England – EFL Championship
Pick Away Win & Under 2.5 Goals
Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 9/2 odds taken 2100 GMT, Thursday 16 July
Neil Warnock goes up against his former club on Saturday, as Middlesbrough and Cardiff City square off in a huge EFL Championship fixture at the Riverside Stadium. The Bluebirds are currently in the top six, while Boro are five points clear of 22nd-place Hull City. Can Warnock work his magic against his ex-team, or will Neil Harris guide Cardiff to a massive three points?
Table of Contents
Middlesbrough Preview – Will Boro make it three wins from four?
Middlesbrough have sailed far too close to the wind in terms of relegation this season, but Boro are five points clear of the drop zone with two fixtures left, which should be enough to keep them in the Championship.
Neil Warnock has had a mixed bag of results since taking over from Jonathan Woodgate, winning three and losing three of six. Nonetheless, the veteran was brought to the Riverside to keep Boro in the Championship, and it looks as though he has achieved that goal.
Last time out, Middlesbrough picked up a precious three points at Reading. Despite going a goal down at the Madejski Stadium, goals from Ashley Fletcher and Patrick Roberts turned the game on its head.
Middlesbrough have been woeful at home this season. In fact, they have failed to win at the Riverside in Championship action since Djed Spence netted the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Huddersfield Town on Boxing Day. Warnock has yet to take a home point, but can they end their home campaign with three points on Saturday?
Cardiff City Preview – Can the Bluebirds move a step closer to the play-offs?
Cardiff City secured a vital victory over Derby County in midweek. It was a tight and tense matchup in the Welsh capital, with a mistake from Wayne Rooney gifting the winner for Lee Tomlin. It was a nervy end, but the Bluebirds held on for a crucial 2-1 away win.
Neil Harris had done a fine job since taking over at the Cardiff City Stadium. City have been hard to beat under the ex-Millwall manager, with only Brentford, Queens Park Rangers, Stoke City, Nottingham Forest, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham beating getting the better of them since his arrival.
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Cardiff head to the Riverside Stadium having won five of their past seven away games. The Welsh side failed to win on the road under Warnock at the start of the season, but they have picked up seven away victories with Harris at the helm.
After the midweek results, Cardiff remain two points clear of seventh-place Millwall in the race for the top six. With Hull City to come in their last match of the season on Wednesday, Cardiff will fancy their chances of making the play-offs.
Middlesbrough vs Cardiff City Betting Advice
When Warnock was in the opposite dugout back in September, Cardiff edged past Woodgate’s Middlesbrough at the Cardiff City Stadium. An own goal from Ashley Fletcher after just two minutes gave Cardiff a narrow 1-0 win.
Key Facts – Middlesbrough vs Cardiff City Betting Tip
- Middlesbrough’s last home victory came on Boxing Day
- Cardiff have won five of their last seven away games
- Four of the last five Middlesbrough v Cardiff meetings have ended in 1-0 wins for the Bluebirds
The last three meetings and four of the past five have ended in 1-0 wins for the Bluebirds. As Cardiff look to nail down a play-off position, the team from the Welsh capital will take any kind of victory on Saturday. Back the away win and under 2.5 goals at 9/2.
The best betting odds for Middlesbrough vs Cardiff City
Middlesbrough to win: 13/8 at Bet365
Draw: 21/10 at Bet365
Cardiff City to win: 7/4 at Bet365
