Leeds United at Middlesbrough FC preview: Frosty reception awaits the Whites at the Riverside
Whatever the weather, Leeds United will receive a frosty reception in a televised fixture against Middlesbrough FC on Friday night.
Middlesbrough still fancy their chances of reaching the play offs and see Leeds as direct rivals for the final play-off spots. Boro are currently 8th in the table on 52 points, making them 3 places and 3 points above the 11th placed snowy Whites of Leeds.
Revenge is a dish best served cold
Not only is this game considered a derby match and a crucial promotion clash, but Boro will be seeking revenge for their defeat at Leeds in November when the Whites won 2–1 at Elland Road despite the best efforts of the Referee to even things up and awarded that Penalty missing Ayala’s half nelson on Luke Ayling.
2600 United fans will attempt to battle their way through the possible adverse conditions up the A1 and hoping their efforts will be rewarded with a similar battling display from Paul Heckingbottom’s side on the pitch. It’s not just on the road they would like to see some grit.
With Middlesbrough’s superior goal difference, even a victory won’t see their side overtake Boro in the table. However the 3 points a victory would bring could be vital as we approach the sharp end of the season.
Heckingbottom, however, has stated that he will not risk influential players with the approaching fixture congestion. On Pablo Hernandez and Kemar Roofe he said …
“If there is any doubt we won’t risk them or put them in. If they’re available then we’ll use them.”
This game will be a tough one. I expect Tony Pulis’s tactics to be of an old fashioned nature and to target Leeds little Wizzard Samu Saiz, who could come in for some rough treatment. Considering our recent disciplinary record, I call for cool heads, avoid conceding early and we should grow into the game, which has sold 27000 tickets.
Middlesbrough
Since these two clubs met in November, Boro replaced their former Manager Garry Monk with Tony Pulis and have seen an upswing in fortunes. He has won 5 and drawn 2 of the twelve games since he joined December 26.
Their top scorer is £15 million man Brit Assombalonga who has netted 12 times this season. And an interesting fact about the Congolese hitman is that should you be playing scrabble on the coach to the game, his surname would score you 17 points.
Their last home game saw them victors in a 3–1 result against Hull City. Their last game was a 3–3 draw against struggling Sunderland - a game they were winning until a late equaliser deep into injury time.
In the news this week was that Adama Traore had the red card, that he received in that Sunderland game, overturned on appeal and is eligible to play Friday.
Injury news
Ayling and Shaughnessy are long term absentees for Leeds and, as mentioned, Hernandez and Roofe are doubts. Tyler Roberts will not make his debut Friday. However, Adam Forshaw is thankfully in contention to face his former club after the birth of his son saw him miss the Brentford victory.
Middlesbrough’s Grant Leadbitter faces a late fitness test however one time United Target Rudy Gestede will not feature
Form
Leeds United: L | L | D | D | W
Middlesbrough: L |W |L | W| D
Head-to-head
There have been 45 encounters at Middlesbrough have won 18 Leeds 10 and the rest (17) were drawn
WHAT
Middlesbrough F.C v Leeds United
EFL Sky Bet Championship fixture
WHERE
Riverside Stadium. Middlesbrough
Sky TV, BBC Radio Leeds, International Listings
WHEN
Friday 2 March, 2017
7:45pm BT
WHO
Predicted starting XI’s
Leeds United
Wiedwald, Anita, Jansson, Cooper, Berardi, Phillips, Forshaw, Saiz, Dallas, Alioski, Lasogga
Middlesbrough
Randolph, Shotton, Ayala, Gibson, Friend, Besic, Clayton, Traore, Downing, Bamford, Assombalonga
PREDICTION
An encounter as slippery as the roads and as difficult to predict as the weather. ‘Approach with Caution’ will be PH’s stance. I feel our best player is Samu Saiz and he could be affected by the conditions which may affect our game. Middlesbrough should go for it but if we are fully warmed up ourselves I feel a draw is possible.
