LAST season, Burnley’s players frolicked on the Riverside pitch as they sealed their promotion to the Premier League with a win over Middlesbrough. One year on, and while Leeds United cannot secure top-flight football when they head to the North-East this evening, Daniel Farke and his players will be celebrating a return to the top two if they triumph on Teesside.
Middlesbrough’s aim, in their penultimate home fixture, is to avoid hosting someone else’s party for the second season in a row. True, a play-off place is just about still possible, with Norwich’s weekend draw with Bristol City meaning Boro head into tonight’s game nine points adrift of the sixth-placed Canaries, with nine points still up for grabs.
Realistically, though, Boro’s promotion hopes are over. Leeds’, on the other hand, hang in the balance, and with no love lost between the two northern clubs, tonight’s encounter should not be lacking in spice.
“We obviously went through that (Burnley’s celebrations) last season, and it's not ideal,” admitted Boro boss Michael Carrick. “But, at the same point, you have to respect the position and Burnley had achieved what they'd achieved. They were well within their rights to celebrate that night.
“Ultimately, though, it's about us in terms of where we are at this stage of the season and how we want to finish the season. It really is only about us going into Monday.
“It’s a big game. We’re looking forward to it. We understand what is at stake in a rivalry, in a good way. It will be a competitive game for sure, regardless of other things going on in the league.
“As a game in itself, it’s an important game, and we understand that. Added to the context of the league and everything going on, there is a little bit extra on it, so it should be a good night.”
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While their promotion hopes might effectively have been extinguished in the last few weeks, Boro nevertheless head into tonight’s game in good heart.
Carrick’s side are unbeaten in their last nine matches, with their last two outings having seen them claim creditable away draws against promotion-hopefuls Hull City and Ipswich Town.
Last season, Boro finished with a whimper, with their stuttering form in the final weeks of the conventional season carrying over into the play-off semi-final against Coventry. This time around, Carrick does not want things to fizzle out.
“Last week was a good week for us in many ways, but it just wasn’t quite enough for what we wanted or needed,” he said. “Nevertheless, there’s been a lot of good things going on and the boys have put a really good run together. So that’s certainly something we’re trying to build on as the season comes to an end.”
Luke Ayling and Sam Greenwood cannot play against their permanent employers this evening, so Carrick might well be tempted to switch to a back five with Isaiah Jones and Lukas Engel playing as wing-backs.
Middlesbrough (probable, 5-2-3): Dieng; Jones, van den Berg, Howson, Clarke, Engel; Barlaser, O’Brien; Azaz, Latte Lath, Silvera.
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