Middlesbrough v Southampton Betting Tips: Riverside crowd unlikely to witness a classic

May 11 2017
May 11 2017
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As is the case with so many games at this time of the season, neither of these sides have much left to play for with Middlesbrough already relegated back to the Championship whilst Southampton are set for another mid-table finish.

Middlesbrough’s 3-0 defeat to likely Premier League champions Chelsea last time out put an end to their two-match unbeaten run and confirmed their relegation back to the second tier after a powderpuff season back in the top flight.

Although they found the back of the net three times in those aforementioned two matches, a lack of goals has been the reason why Boro have gone down without much of a fight this year – their miserable total of 26 in 36 is the lowest in the Premier League. They may have been good at the back this season with just 48 conceded and a clean sheet ratio of 31% but, with no threat up front, this good defensive record has meant nothing in the end.

Steve Agnew’s men have been relatively decent at home in this latter part of the campaign with just one defeat in their last four, including two clean sheets. However, it must also be mentioned that they have taken maximum points from only one league match in 2017 at the Riverside.

Southampton may still be in the top ten for now, however, they are badly out of form at the moment with just two points taken from a possible 15 in their last five outings meaning a slide down the table is likely.

Much like Middlesbrough, Claude Puel has made defensive solidity the focus of his side with their record of 46 conceded better than any team in the bottom half. However, again like Boro, they have struggled for goals having found the back of the net just 39 times this campaign. The fact that their top goalscorer is attacking midfielder Nathan Redmond with just six says it all. If they do not recruit well in the summer, they could find themselves in a rather sticky situation next term.

The Saints have been a mixed bag on their travels this season with a few good results dotted here and there among rather a lot of losses. Despite this inconsistency, their away points tally of 19 from 18 games puts them in the top half of the Away Table. It is also worth mentioning that Southampton have kept two clean sheets in their last three away from St. Mary’s Stadium.

With neither of these sides particularly good going forward, I doubt we will see many goals here. Some will argue that, now that Middlesbrough have nothing to play for, they might express themselves a bit more. However, I am not sure they have the ability to do so. One goal could decide the result here so calling a winner isn’t that easy, and, as a consequence, ‘Under 2.5 Goals’ looks a very reasonable bet.

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