Middlesbrough moved up into 5th place in the Championship thanks to their recent 1-0 win away at Blackburn Rovers as Tony Pulis’s men seem to be closing in on a play-off position in the second tier, and they return to the Riverside Stadium for this Saturday’s clash with free-falling QPR.
With just the one defeat from their last eight matches overall in the Championship, Middlesbrough have produced some solid results in recent weeks at just about the right time, and although they suffered a 1-0 defeat away at promotion rivals, Sheffield United, Boro have captured wins against Ipswich Town, Birmingham City, West Brom and Blackburn Rovers to keep their play-off ambitions on track.
Defeat to the other Sheffield club, Wednesday, has been Middlesbrough’s only setback in their last five matches at home where the hosts hold a steady record of W6 D6 L3 scored 15 goals, conceded 10.
Middlesbrough manager, Tony Pulis, has tightened up Boro’s defence considerably since his arrival, and his side have kept a total of eight clean sheets amongst their 15 home matches, so this could turn out to be a low-scoring affair.
QPR stumbled to a sixth defeat on the trot in the Championship during the week when they lost 3-2 at home to high-flying West Brom which followed earlier losses to Sheffield United, Preston North End, Wigan Athletic and Bristol City.
If it hadn’t been for a purple patch of form back in October where The R’s registered five wins from seven matches and a period in December where the visitors won three on the trot, manager Steve McClaren may well have been shown the door by now.
As it is, QPR now occupy a disappointing 18th place on the Championship league table and have lost their last three away matches on the trot amidst a rather poor looking away record of W4 D4 L8 scored 16 and conceded 26 goals.
Earlier lofty ambitions of a possible play-off spot have since evaporated as the London club have only another mediocre season in the second tier to show for their troubles so far this term.
The visitors have failed to score in 5 of their 16 away matches to date and have kept just three clean sheets on their travels and although this encounter could be a low-scoring affair, it looks like Middlesbrough will be claiming all three points here.