MIDDLESBROUGH could go top of the Championship this evening when they welcome fifth-placed Burnley to the Riverside Stadium.
Boro were left frustrated on Saturday when they were held to a goalless draw with Birmingham City, while the Clarets made it five games without a win following a goalless draw at QPR.
Sports writer James Cartwright looks at five areas where the game could be won and lost.
Younger days: Former Newcastle man Joey Barton will be playing for Burnley
THE MIDFIELD BATTLE
Middlesbrough and Burnley arguably have the best midfields in the whole division and there will be no mercy when the two go head-to-head this evening at the Riverside.
Boro’s duo of Adam Clayton and Grant Leadbitter have been in fine form this season with the former particularly impressive. The same can be said about Scott Arfield, who is dangerous down the flanks, and Joey Barton because both have a pedigree in the Championship. Barton played a key role in promotion seasons for Newcastle and Burnley.
There is a possibility the more attack-minded Adam Forshaw may get his opportunity for Middlesbrough. The January signing has performed well when he’s come off the bench and he would give the home side an added drive going forward.
Whoever plays, it is certain this will be where the game is won and lost.
Return? Kike
THE FORWARD CONUNDRUM
With David Nugent ruled out following his red card against Birmingham, Aitor Karanka will have a decision to make on whether he starts Cristhian Stuani or Kike through the middle.
Going on previous games, he is likely to go with Kike. But Stuani up front with Diego Fabbrini in behind and Stewart Downing and Albert Adomah on the wings seems like another attractive option.
It would be interesting to see where Stuani would lie in the goalscoring charts if he hadn’t missed eight games through injury.
The Uruguayan has always looked dangerous in the games he’s played and consistently gets into goalscoring position despite mainly playing on the wing.
Talent: Ben Gibson tries to stop Andre Gray at the Riverside last season
STOPPING ANDRE GRAY
If Middlesbrough are to triumph in tonight’s game, they will need to deal with the threat of Championship's top scorer Andre Gray.
The £9m forward has made the desired impact this season with nine goals in 15 games since joining from Brentford in August. He will hope to end his goal drought this evening.
The 24-year-old, likely to play alongside Sam Vokes, has failed to hit the net since he scored a brace in a 3-1 win over Fulham at the beginning of November.
Middlesbrough are no strangers to Gray after he played four times for Brentford and they dealt with him efficiently aside from allowing him to equalise in the play-off first leg at Griffin Park.
Important: Boro's George Friend
THE IMPORTANCE OF FULL-BACKS
Both Middlesbrough and Burnley rely on the attacking threat of the full-backs to get in behind opposition teams and tonight should be no different.
As always, George Friend has been a force going forward while Emilio Nsue has made the right-back spot his own and has added balance to the Middlesbrough attack.
During their promotion season and Premier League season, Burnley were reliant on Kieran Trippier but since his departure to Spurs, summer signing Tendayi Darikwa has slotted straight into the right-back position.
He has been suited to this role and his attacking abilities were a given after he was mainly played as a winger during his time with Chesterfield. Both teams are set to be dangerous on this front but the Teessiders should triumph in this battle.
Flying: Dimi Konstantopoulos is looking for another clean sheet
KONSTANTOPOULOS v HEATON
Middlesbrough have carried on from where they left off last season in defence and Saturday was a great example of that as Dimi Konstantopoulos kept his 11th clean sheet of the season.
The same can’t be said of Burnley, who have struggled to reach the kind form they showed two seasons ago when they won promotion to the Premier League.
Heaton should be the busier of the two goalkeepers this evening and, considering how he impressed in the Premier League, he should be a formidable opponent.
That said, though, there’s no stopping Konstantopoulos in his current form and there’s every reason why clean sheet number 12 can’t come this evening.
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