Middlesbrough vs Stoke City Prediction: Both teams have been average

Middlesbrough will welcome Stoke City at Riverside Stadium in Game Week 7 of the English Championship. Both teams have been average in the season so far. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

With eight points from their first six games, Middlesbrough has shown promising form, particularly at home where they remain undefeated in the Championship. Stoke, under new head coach Narcis Pelach, has struggled in recent fixtures, with only one of their four league goals coming in an away match. Despite a 1-0 victory at Plymouth Argyle, Stoke has lost four of their last five games, presenting a challenging task for Pelach to win over the fans.

Dieng; Ayling, Edmundson, Clarke, Borges; Morris, Hackney; Jones, Conway, Azaz; Latte Lath

One month after suffering a 5-0 defeat to Stoke in the EFL Cup, Middlesbrough will be seeking redemption for their previous loss. Michael Carrick's team has shown resilience by earning four points from the three matches that followed. Following a 2-0 win at Cardiff City and a draw against Preston North End, they faced a setback with a loss to Sunderland.

Johansson; Tchamadeu, Wilmot, Gibson, Bocat; Koumas, Burger, Thompson, Bae; Manhoef; Cannon

Carrick is contemplating giving starts to Ben Doak and Micah Hamilton in order to address Middlesborough's scoring struggles. The team is still dealing with several injuries, with Rav van den Berg and Lukas Engel nearing a return. Pelach may opt to stick with the same Stoke XI to continue building familiarity with his new system. Emre Tezgel could start ahead of Lewis Koumas in attack, while the rest of the team remains unchanged. Key players like Ashley Phillips and Sam Gallagher are still sidelined for Stoke. The away supporters will be eager for a strong start from their team in this match. However, we predict Middlesborough to secure a victory and avenge their previous defeat to Stoke.