Tuesday, at 19:45, Middlesbrough will receive Rochdale’s visit in a match for the 32-League final of the League of England Cup. The game will take place at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough.
Boro, the leader in the Championship, likes the guests.
The solid start of the season in the Championship for Middlesbrough, whose goal in the current season is promotion in the Premier League. Sharing Leeds United’s leadership throne, both with 13 points after the first five stages of the championship, the group on Riverside Stadium announces that it is a solid, well-organized formation on the defensive and its opponent is not a name scared. Rochdale presents himself as one of the chaotic kicks of season start in League One in England, managing to counterfeit 13 goals in five games. With just 4 points in the whole range, Rochdale seems to be a submediated opponent for Boro, which almost does not justify that 1.52 share of the host’s victory.
However, we need to look at the whole picture. In addition to the unpredictable factor that guarantees surprises on contenders in cup matches, especially in the UK, where we are witnessing season shocks, we can not ignore the next match of the hosts. Just three days away from home, against Rochdale, we will have a top-ranked derby in the Championship, where Leeds and Middlesbrough leaders will meet on Elland Road in a story match. So, being in front of one of the toughest duels in this championship tour, if not, perhaps even the most difficult, Tony Pulis will surely line up a first “11” changed from the one he’s used to, in preparation for the big championship match on Friday.
Given the circumstances of this game, we expect a closed run of the hostilities, a more balanced one than the odds show. Without ignoring the hosts’ superiority, but also the strength of our own ground, we believe that most of Boro’s footballers will be thinking about the Friday match with Leeds, which almost completely changes the data of the problem and turns the confrontation on Riverside into – much more balanced.
PREDICTION: Middlesbrough to win @ 1.52
