Middlesbrough v Sunderland
05 September 2000hrs
Football – England – Championship
Pick Sunderland AH+1
Bookmaker bet365
Odds: 1.63 odds taken 1008 GMT, Sunday 4th September
Monday features action from the Championship with Middlesbrough taking on Sunderland in a north-east clash at the Riverside Stadium with not only three points at stake but also bragging rights.
Table of Contents
Middlesbrough Preview – Can Boro find joy in derby?
Middlesbrough’s disappointing start to this season’s Championship campaign continued last time out with a 2-1 loss away from home at Watford which became Boro’s third defeat already so far this season and Chris Wilder’s team now occupy a place in the early relegation spots, sitting third from bottom prior to this Monday night’s clash with north-east rivals, Sunderland.
Middlesbrough have managed to capture just one win from their opening seven games of the new Championship term, which came in the form of a 2-1 home win over Swansea City, but losses to QPR, Reading and Watford have taken an early toll on Monday night’s hosts and they now need all three points on Monday night if they’re to climb out of the bottom three.
The bigger picture shows Middlesbrough have been struggling to put together any sort of meaningful sequence of results for some time now as Boro have registered just three wins out of their last 15 matches overall, although results at home have been a source of encouragement.
The hosts have lost just three of their last 16 matches at the Riverside Stadium and they’ve also picked up a total of 11 wins in the process, so they will feel upbeat about their chances on Monday night.
Wilder is hoping that Zack Steffen, Darragh Lenihan and Jonny Howson can all recover from injuries to join Boro’s starting lineup.
Sunderland Preview – Can Black Cats get better of Boro?
By contrast, Sunderland have made a very reasonable start to life back in the Championship following promotion from League One at the end of the last campaign as the Black Cats have acquitted themselves well in the early few weeks of this new Championship season.
The visitors have suffered just two defeats in their opening seven matches of the new term, incurring losses to Sheffield United and Norwich City, but the north-east club have also picked up important wins in the shape of victories over Bristol City, Stoke City and Rotherham United, the former two wins being registered away from home.
It’s been four seasons since Sunderland last faced their north-east rivals, Middlesbrough, in a competitive match and the visitors have unfinished business against their hosts as they’ve lost each of the previous three visits to the Riverside Stadium.
However, Sunderland have started well this season and having won two of their three away games to date this term, the visitors also have reason to be confident about their chances on Monday night, while new manager, Tony Mowbray, will be looking to continue his promising start in charge of Sunderland against one of his former clubs.
It’s likely Mowbray will keep the same Sunderland XI he used at Rotherham if he encounters no injury problems.
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Middlesbrough v Sunderland
Key Facts – Middlesbrough v Sunderland Tip
- Middlesbrough have registered just 3 wins out of their last 15 matches overall
- Sunderland have suffered just 2 defeats in their opening 7 matches
- Middlesbrough have won the previous 3 meetings on trot at home v Sunderland
Middlesbrough and Sunderland head into this north-east clash on the back of contrasting results and form but Sunderland have shown they can cope with the step up and perhaps look the more likely for a result here and can be backed with the +1 asian handicap at very reasonable odds.
The best betting odds for Middlesbrough v Sunderland
Middsbro to win: 1.72 at bet365
Draw: 3.60 at bet365
Sunderland to win: 5.00 at bet365
