The first leg at Coventry Building Society Arena three days ago ended in an uneventful goalless draw, therefore the winner of the second leg will take on Luton Town for a place in next season's Premier League.
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Middlesbrough will host Coventry City in the second leg of their EFL Championship semi-final playoff tie at Riverside Stadium on Wednesday night. The first leg at Coventry Building Society Arena three days ago ended in an uneventful goalless draw, therefore the winner of the second leg will take on Luton Town for a place in next season’s Premier League. Despite the fact that two of the most lethal strikers in the second tier this term were involved in the first leg, only two shots on target were recorded and both were from the Boro. Middlesbrough attacker Chubo Akpom won the Championship golden boot award with 28 scalps to his name, while Coventry marksmen Viktor Gyokeres finished second in the race having found the back of the net 21 times.
MATCHDAY! 🔴⚪️
Huge night at the Riverside for #Boro‘s play-off semi-final part II. Excited? 🙌 #UTB pic.twitter.com/1yVNlZkfO6
— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) May 17, 2023
Middlesbrough will enter the second leg as firm favourites to get the job done because of their impreccable record in front of their own supporters. Michael Carrick’s side have recorded 13 wins, seven draws and just three defeats from their 23 home-matches in the second tier this season. Meanwhile, Boro are going through bit of a rough patch, having not tasted victory in their last four outings, scoring mere two goals in those 360 minutes of football. On a positive note, Middlesbrough have one of the most potent attacking unit in the second tier this season, having scored a whopping 84 goals during the league-campaign, only three scalps behind champions Burnley.
Coventry, on the other hand, have the fourth-best defensive record in the Championship this season, having conceded only 46 goals. The Sky Blues are undefeated in their last eight outings, while keeping four clean sheets in the process. On the other hand, Mark Robins’s side have also been pretty solid on their travel, having recorded four wins and five draws from their last nine away-games. Meanwhile, Coventry also secured a 2-1 aggregate win over Middlesbrough in the league phase this term.
Middlesbrough probable starting lineup: Steffen, Smith, McNair, Lenihan, Giles, Mowatt, Hackney, Forss, Akpom, McGree, Archer
Coventry City probable starting lineup: Wilson, McNally, Doyle, McFazdean, Norton-Cuffy, Hamer, Kelly, Allen, Bidwell, Godden, Gyokeres
Middlesbrough
| Opponents | Score |
| Coventry City | 0-0 (D) |
| Coventry City | 1-1 (D) |
| Rotherham | 1-0 (L) |
| Luton | 2-1 (L) |
| Hull | 3-1 (W) |
Coventry City
| Opponents | Score |
| Middlesbrough | 0-0 (D) |
| Middlesbrough | 1-1 (D) |
| Birmingham | 2-0 (W) |
| Reading | 2-1 (W) |
| Blackburn | 1-1 (D) |
| Last 5 match-results | Score |
| Coventry draw Middlesbrough | 0-0 |
| Middlesbrough draw Coventry | 1-1 |
| Coventry beat Middlesbrough | 1-0 |
| Middlesbrough beat Coventry | 1-0 |
| Coventry beat Middlesbrough | 2-0 |
The second leg of the EFL Championship semi-final playoff tie between Middlesbrough and Coventry City will take place at Riverside Stadium on Thursday at 12:30 am IST.
| Middlesbrough vs Coventry City | Key Details |
| Date | May 17 (UK) |
| Venue | Riverside Stadium |
| Kickoff time in UK | 8:00 pm (UK) |
| Kickoff time India | 12:30 am (India) |
Football fans in UK can catch the live action via Sky Ultra HD, Sky Sports Main Event, Talk Sport 2 Radio UK, Sky Go Extra and Sky Sports Football.
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