Middlesbrough vs Norwich City verdict, predicted score, key stats and suggested bets
- George Dempsey
- 12 April 2023
Middlesbrough may have had hopes for automatic promotion, but they could yet slide out of the top six. They welcome playoff-chasing Norwich to the Riverside on Friday evening.
Date, KO time and TV coverage
Championship, Friday, April 14, Kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports.
Predicted score
Suggested bets
Over 2.5 goals.
Key stats
Middlesbrough have averaged 2.33 goals per game since Christmas.
Middlesbrough have scored in 18 of their 20 home games.
Norwich have scored in 15 of their 20 away games.
Team news
Dael Fry and Matt Clarke missed Boro's draw at Bristol City and will be assessed nearer the time. Matt Crooks is likely to keep his place in attack, supported by the prolific Chuba Akpom.
Norwich may be without defensive duo Ben Gibbons and Grant Hanley on Friday evening. Hanley has been the standout player in the heart of City's defence this season.
Verdict
Middlesbrough are falling apart at the wrong time. We said the Easter weekend always gets someone and this year it seems to have been Boro.
After a disappointing yet foreseeable defeat to Burnley, Michael Carrick's men had to battle back from 2-0 behind to earn a point away to Bristol City. They're now winless in three games, having fallen to Huddersfield Town before the Easter period.
Norwich City fared much better as goals from Liam Gibbs and Gabriel Sara earned them a 2-0 win at Blackburn. The Canaries will have been frustrated to follow that result with a 0-0 draw against Rotherham.
The home side are now eight points behind Sheffield United, who occupy second place, yet they are only six points clear of seventh-placed Preston North End. Norwich are only seven points behind Boro.
Norwich have spent most of the season in the playoff positions, but a run of one win in six matches has caused them to slide down the table. They'll be hoping their four-point haul over the Easter weekend has put them back on track.
Since clobbering Wigan on Boxing Day, Middlesbrough have made a habit of thumping teams. No side has come close to matching their tally of 42 goals in 18 games since Boxing Day.
Norwich, on the other hand, have been inconsistent all season. David Wagner's men tend to switch effortlessly between being a prolific all-conquering beast and an exceedingly blunt object.
City have failed to score in four of their last six games, but every now and then they remember where they left their shooting boots. Four at Preston and Coventry, plus three at Millwall, reflect their threat.
The pressure is on both sides at the moment and we've reached the stage of the season where draws can be of little value. Middlesbrough and Norwich need a win and they'll have to take risks to get it, which should lead to an open affair.
