After quite the entertaining 0-0 draw (for the neutral, atleast), Middlesbrough and Southampton meet again for what promises to be an absolute cracker of a second leg Championship playoff semifinal. Which of the two will make it to the final, and earn a shot to make it to the 2026-27 Premier League season?
Here's everything you need to know about Tuesday's big match:
How to watch:
The game will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football in the UK, Prime Video and Paramount+ in the U.S., FanCode in India and beIN Sports 2 in Australia. You can also follow ESPN's live updates.
Key Details:
Kick-off time: Tuesday, May 12 at 8:00 pm BST (3.00 pm ET, 12.30 pm IST, 5 am AEST).
Venue: St Mary's
Referee: Andy Madley
Injury and Team News:
Middlesbrough
Hayden Hackney, M: muscle, DOUBT
Alfie Jones, D: ankle, DOUBT
Southampton
Alex McCarthy, GK: wrist, OUT
Mads Roerslev, M: knee, OUT
Talking Points:
Could squandered chances haunt Boro?
21 shots to six, five on target to zero, 1.81 xG to 058 xG: in every important attacking parameter Middlesbrough trumped Southampton... Except the only one that truly matters at the end. The chances Boro made were plentiful and well-constructed but a combination of superb goalkeeping saves, brave blocks and the woodwork combined to ensure Boro couldn't break the deadlock. The rattle of the far post from the snapshot taken by Tommy Conway is still reverberating around the Riverside.
It's been the story of this last part of the season for Boro -- creating chances, playing dominant football and yet simply not scoring enough -- and if they want to rewrite the end of their season, they better bring their shooting boots on the train south.
Saints will look to get on the front foot
Of those six shots Southampton had -- three could have been goals if better executed. One was when an unmarked Cyle Larin headed wide from close-range another was when skipper Taylor Woodward-Ellis smashed a header into the woodwork and the other when Samuel Edozie rolled the rebound just wide. Those are the kind of chances the Saints have taken since the turn of the year to get on a run of results that powered them up the table and made them the form team in England across divisions. And there is no reason to believe they won't take such chances come Tuesday,
After being completely dominated in the first half, the Saints put up a better show in the second -- and that's what should worry Boro. This is a Southampton capable of producing special performances under pressure.
Spygate 2.0 adds dramatic flair
You can read all about that right here as Tom Masters explains what Spygate 2.0 is, and what could possibly happen next.