Does Boro underline home strength in season opener?

24 teams in a league means no less than 46 regular games until the end of the season. The teams from the English Championship face a truly mammoth programme. On the last weekend in July the whistle sounds for the new season and there will be some interesting duels. The match between Middlesbrough and West Brom pits two teams who have set their sights on promotion against each other.

Last season, both teams missed out on a play-off spot by the skin of their teeth. Middlesbrough finished seventh (one place behind the play-offs), while the Baggies from the industrial city were only three points behind Boro in tenth place. In general, the Championship is a league that is extremely balanced. Accordingly, it is also difficult to predict the winner of a match.

Betting odds of around 2.20 are offered for the home side in Saturday night’s match between Middlesbrough and West Brom. Thanks to the home advantage, being favourites is quite understandable as the Baggies have not been known for convincing performances away from home in the past.

Middlesbrough – Statistics & current form

Soberly speaking, seventh place in the table last season was a step up. After all, in the two seasons before that, Middlesbrough only finished 17th and tenth. Nevertheless, disappointment was high at the end of the season as a poor finish prevented them from reaching the play-offs.

Long-serving Sheffield coach Chris Wilder took over the club in November and went on to lose just two of their first 15 competitive games. The Red and Whites were looking upwards, but only two wins from their last eight league games prevented them from finishing in the league’s top six.

Strong preparation – four wins in five games

For the new season Chris Wilder can count on a well-rehearsed unit, because the most notable departure does not represent a weakening compared to last season. Djed Spence, on loan at Nottingham last year, was sold to Tottenham for a fee in the double-digit millions. Most of Boro’s core staff remained on board, with two strong signings in Zack Steffen (goalkeeper) and Marcuss Forss (striker).

The preparation went absolutely satisfactorily and the Wilder eleven won four of the five test matches. While victories against Bishop Auckland or York City do not necessarily make an impression, the dress rehearsal with the 2-0 victory against Olympique Marseille was a sign to the competition.

Especially in the physically tough Championship, it is an advantage that the team is well-rehearsed and has internalised certain automatisms. Those who know Chris Wilder from his Sheffield days also know that a lot of attention is paid to the defence. Not for nothing did only 39 per cent of the games in 2021/22 (18 out of 46) end with two goals or less. This was the second-lowest figure and argues for a prediction on the under 2.5 for the opener between Middlesbrough and West Brom.

Predicted Middlesbrough line-up:
Steffen – Smith, Fry, Lenihan – Tavernier, Howson, McGree, Crooks, Jones – Akpom, Watmore

Last games played by Middlesbrough:

Club friendlies
23/07/2022 – Middlesboro 2 – 0 Marseille

20/07/2022 – Morecambe 0 – 3 Middlesboro

16/07/2022 – Braga 3 – 0 Middlesboro

09/07/2022 – York 2 – 3 Middlesboro

02/07/2022 – Bishop Auckland 0 – 5 Middlesboro

West Brom – Statistics & current form

A relegated team from the English Premier League may not have any financial problems due to the solidarity payments from the TV contract, but it certainly has to experience a culture shock. The way football is played at times creates the feeling that a different sport is being played. The game is far more physical and intense in the second division, which is why relegated teams one tier below often find it extremely difficult.

The Blackbirds from West Bromwich were able to disprove this thesis last year and started the new season very strongly. Ten games without defeat underlined their status as favourites for promotion, but the team subsequently lacked any consistency and finished eight points off the play-off places.

The zero is almost always on one side

Although Steve Bruce currently has a negative record in his tenure as Baggies coach (six wins, four draws, seven defeats with a goal difference of 18:21), the club’s management continues to have faith in him. After the disappointing start to the Bruce era (one point from five games), the turnaround was at least halfway successful.

However, attractive and offensive football, as seen under predecessor Valerien Ismael, is not practised by the 61-year-old head coach. In ten of the 17 competitive matches, a maximum of two goals were scored, and only five times was the forecast for goals by both teams crowned with success. This is also the reason for the headline, as bets that both teams will not score are very likely in games between the Baggies. In the opening game between Middlesbrough and West Brom, high odds around 2.00 are offered for this. This is an assessment that was not necessarily expected and brings great value.

Predicted West Brom line-up:
Button – Clarke, O’Shea, Ajayi, Furlong – Philipps, Swift, Mowatt, Yokuslu- Dike, Diangana

Last matches played by West Brom:

Friendly club matches
23/07/2022 – West Bromwich 2 – 1 Hertha BSC

20/07/2022 – Oxford 0 – 3 West Bromwich

16/07/2022 – Crewe 1 – 1 West Bromwich

14/07/2022 – Northampton 0 – 3 West Bromwich

09/07/2022 – Stevenage 2 – 0 West Bromwich

Middlesbrough – West Brom Direct comparison / H2H record

The season opener is also an anniversary as it will be the 100th time the two sides have faced each other in a competitive fixture. In the long history, Boro have a narrow lead with 41 wins compared to 34 defeats. On a par with slight advantages for Middlesbrough, the two games last season can also be summarised. A 1-1 draw at West Brom was followed by a narrow 2-1 win at home to Middlesbrough.

Middlesbrough – West Brom Tip

With Watford and Norwich City both relegated, there are once again two big favourites for direct promotion in the Championship this season, but the English lower tier is extremely competitive and a large number of teams can at least consider themselves to have a realistic chance of a play-off place.

Two such teams face each other at the Riverside Stadium, with Middlesbrough considered favourites against West Brom according to current odds (around 2.25). Quite understandable given their home strength (14 home wins last year) and the Baggies’ away weakness (12 defeats away from home).

Far more interesting in the duel between Middlesbrough and West Brom is the bet on the under 2.5 and the bet that not both teams will score. Chris Wilder and Steve Bruce are two coaches who can by no means be described as modern, because the stable defence is of enormous importance and with a lot of running the spaces are made tight. Many scoring scenes are not to be expected, which makes the high odds for the bet that a maximum of one team will score all the more surprising. A 2.00 offers great value and is played with six units