Middlesbrough vs Swansea Prediction: Both teams are aiming for playoffs

Middlesbrough will welcome Swansea at Riverside Stadium in Game Week 41 of the English Championship. Both teams are aiming for playoffs. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

Having won only one of their first seven Championship matches until the beginning of March, Middlesbrough is now finding some good form at a crucial point in the season. They extended their unbeaten streak to six matches by defeating Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 on Monday.

During the first half, Middlesbrough had possession dominance and created most of the clear scoring opportunities. Wednesday's Michael Ihiekwe scored an own goal to give Middlesbrough the lead, and Isaiah Jones scored the second goal to secure the victory. This win was their fourth in the last six matches.

Struggling without key players like Chuba Akpom and Morgan Rodgers earlier in the season, Middlesbrough is now pushing for a playoff spot and currently sits in ninth place, six points behind Norwich City in sixth. 

While Middlesbrough had been strong at home in previous seasons, scoring 46 goals in 23 matches in the 2022-23 campaign, they have only scored 22 goals in 20 home matches this season, winning just eight and earning 28 points at home, placing them 15th in the home rankings.

Seny Dieng's stellar goalkeeping in the last five matches has been crucial to Middlesbrough's recent success, with four clean sheets. Dieng has reportedly caught the attention of Premier League clubs Newcastle United and Crystal Palace, as well as Championship club Ipswich Town.

Dieng; Ayling, Howson, Clarke, Thomas; Barlaser, O'Brien, Jones, Azaz, Greenwood; Lath

Sitting comfortably away from the threat of relegation and far removed from the excitement of the top-six race, Swansea's season has hit a rough patch with only one win in their last five matches. The team lost narrowly to struggling QPR on Monday afternoon, resulting in their season losing momentum. Despite aiming for a third consecutive victory at the Swansea.com Stadium in their latest match, Luke Williams' team was defeated by a goal from center-back Steve Cook, giving Marti Cifuentes' side victory as they strive for safety in the second tier. With the exception of their win against rivals Cardiff City, Swansea has struggled to secure wins in the past month and finds themselves stranded in mid-table, with a seven-point lead over the relegation zone and a 17-point gap behind the sixth-placed Norwich. Since taking over from Michael Duff at the start of the year, Williams has had a mixed record as head coach, winning five out of 15 matches, losing seven, and drawing three. Swansea's recent performances on Teesside have been disappointing, having lost their last three games at the Riverside Stadium and not winning there since June 2020. In that match, a brace from Rhian Brewster helped Swansea secure a 3-0 victory over Jonathan Woodgate's Middlesbrough.

Rushworth; Key, Darling, Wood, Tymon; Grimes, Fulton, Pereira, Paterson, Cullen; Yates

Middlesbrough has been dealing with a high number of injuries this season, affecting players like Riley McGree and Alex Bangura. Hayden Hackney suffered a knee injury in February and is not expected to return until the end of the season, leading Lewis O'Brien to continue playing alongside Daniel Barlaser. Due to a groin injury, Josh Coburn has been sidelined for nearly two months, leaving Emmanuel Latte Lath to take on the main goal-scoring responsibilities. Norwich loanee Przemyslaw Placheta, who has impressed on the left since joining in January, is currently out of action for Swansea due to a hamstring injury. Harrison Ashby, another player on the wing, has also struggled with fitness after sustaining a muscle injury in early February. Joe Allen had to be substituted after 35 minutes in the defeat to QPR due to a toe issue and is not expected to return until the end of the month.

Middlesbrough has been in good form recently and should feel confident about playing against Swansea at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon. With Swansea's season coming to a disappointing end, it is likely that they will put on a poor performance and suffer a defeat during this Championship clash in Teesside.