Preview: Middlesbrough vs. Burnley - prediction, team news, lineups

The two teams will be seeking to return to winning ways after dropping points last time out, with the Clarets drawing at home to Sunderland and Boro losing away against Huddersfield Town.

Match preview

Middlesbrough were optimistic of claiming maximum points heading into half time of last weekend's clash at Huddersfield, after capping off a dominant first-half performance by breaking the deadlock through Marcus Forss, who netted his 10th league goal of the campaign two minutes before the interval.

However, a second-half capitulation saw Michael Carrick's men concede four goals within the first 20 minutes after the break, including an equaliser from Josh Ruffels just 22 seconds from the restart, and although top scorer Chuba Akpom pulled one back to increase his goal tally to 25 for the season, Boro were condemned to a 4-2 defeat by their former manager Neil Warnock.

Sheffield United's win at Norwich City last weekend rubbed salt into Boro's wounds and Carrick's side - sitting third in the Championship table - have now slipped six points behind the Blades in second place having played a game more.

Middlesbrough will welcome a return to the Riverside where they have won eight and drawn three of their last 11 home games in the second tier, an impressive unbeaten run dating back to October in which they have scored 26 goals and conceding only five.

Only League One outfit Barnsley (11) have won more league matches than Boro (10) in the entire EFL since the turn of the year, but Carrick's men will be put to the test on Good Friday as they face a Burnley side whom they have failed to beat in each of their last five meetings, including a 3-1 loss at Turf Moor earlier this season.

After suffering a humbling 6-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup before the international break, Burnley failed to come out on top on their return to Championship action last Friday as they were forced to play out a goalless draw at home to Sunderland.

The Clarets were left to endure a frustrating night at Turf Moor where they struggled to pose a real threat in the final third and drew a blank on home soil for the first time since losing 2-0 to Man City in the Premier League 12 months ago.

Nevertheless, Burnley have extended their unbeaten league run to 18 matches, dating back to early November, and remain on the cusp of securing promotion to the Premier League, with just eight points required from as many games to return to the promised land at the first attempt.

The Championship leaders sit 11 points clear at the summit, but Vincent Kompany is keen to avoid complacency slipping into his team's performances heading down the home straight, as they bid to match or better the club's highest-ever points tally of 93, set in the 2013-14 and 2015-16 Championship campaigns.

A dogged second-half performance helped Burnley come from behind to beat Middlesbrough 3-1 just before Christmas, with all three of their goals scored in the final half-hour, and another victory on Good Friday would see them complete their first league double over Boro since the 1953-54 season.

Middlesbrough Championship form:

L

W

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D

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L

Burnley Championship form:

D

W

D

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W

D

Burnley form (all competitions):

W

D

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W

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D

Team News

Middlesbrough's only injury concern is with defender Matt Clarke, who has been sidelined since October with a troublesome back problem.

Centre-back Dael Fry will be looking to force his way back into the starting lineup at the expense of Paddy McNair, while ever-present full-backs Tommy Smith and Ryan Giles are set to retain their places.

Carrick is unlikely to make too many changes, if any, to his midfield and attack, with Hayden Hackney and Jonny Howson set to start again in the middle of the pitch and Aston Villa loanees Aaron Ramsey and Cameron Archer both expected to continue in the final third along with Forss and Akpom.

Burnley, meanwhile, were boosted by the return of Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Josh Brownhill last week, who both recovered from injury to play against Sunderland, and the Clarets duo are expected to retain their places in the starting lineup at centre-back and in centre-midfield respectively.

Jay Rodriguez, who has missed the last 10 league games through injury, has recently stepped up his recovery, but it remains to be seen whether he will be involved on Friday.

Michael Obafemi - on loan from Swansea City - is still awaiting his first start under Kompany and will be hoping to finally earn a place in the first XI on Friday at the expense of Ashley Barnes, who has failed to score in each of his last six appearances.

Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:

Steffen; Smith, Fry, Lenihan, Giles; Howson, Hackney; Forss, Akpom, Ramsey; Archer

Burnley possible starting lineup:

Muric; Roberts, Harwood-Bellis, Beyer, Maatsen; Cullen, Brownhill; Benson, Tella, Zaroury; Obafemi

We say: Middlesbrough 1-1 Burnley

A closely-fought contest between two top Championship teams seeking to bounce back from minor setbacks last week could be on the cards at the Riverside, with a victory for either side boosting their hopes of securing promotion.

However, considering Middlesbrough's strong home form and Burnley's impressive unbeaten league run, the two sides may cancel each other out on this occasion which could lead to a share of the spoils.

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