Middlesbrough played host to Preston North End in a Championship fixture this weekend.
Boro are back in Championship action on Saturday, September 14th, looking to build on their most recent victory.
Middlesbrough beat Cardiff City 2-0 in their final meeting before the international break thanks to an own goal and Matt Clarke netting his second of the season to become the club’s top scorer.
Going into September’s break, Middlesbrough sat in seventh in the Championship table compared to Paul Heckingbottom’s Preston in 21st.
The Lilywhites have taken just three points from a possible 12 and sit on a -6 goal difference after scoring two and conceding eight in their opening four Championship fixtures.
Boro are favourites going into the game but Michael Carrick may have a few tired players ahead of the weekend’s clash after nine Middlesbrough players were on international duty this month.
Aidan Morris impressed for the USA late on Tuesday evening when they drew 1-1 with New Zealand and is now heading back to Teesside for the Preston tie.
Middlesbrough vs Preston North End score prediction
Middlesbrough and Preston have faced off a total of 109 times throughout history, with the first meeting taking place in 1892.
Boro have had the better of the fixture of the years, winning on 49 occasions compared to Preston’s 35.
In the modern era, though, it has been hard to separate these two Championship regulars.
The Lancashire outfit have won four of the last six meetings but Carrick’s men have won two of the last three, making this one tough to call.
EFL pundit Sam Parkin has now shared his score prediction for Middlesbrough vs Preston on the Championship Check-In podcast, and he too found it ‘difficult’ to pick a winner.
He said: “This is really difficult one. I’m still going to go for Middlesbrough. I’m going to go for Middlesbrough to win 1-0 again.”
Why Middlesbrough have to beat Preston North End
With only four games of the campaign gone, suggesting that a fixture is already a must-win tie may seem strange but Preston is a match Boro really need three points from.
Middlesbrough have started the current campaign much better than 2023/24 but five points dropped against two weak teams in Derby County and Portsmouth has already put Carrick’s side well off the pace of the promotion-chasing teams.
The Reds are currently five points adrift of first-place Sunderland and have a tough run of fixtures on the horizon.
After facing Preston, Middlesbrough are away to the Black Cats, at home to a Stoke City side who thumped them 5-0 in the Carabao Cup, and then face back-to-back away trips to second-place West Bromwich Albion and third-place Watford.
As a result, Saturday’s game is by far and away the most winable of those five clashes and if the Teessiders want to keep their promotion hopes alive, three points at the Riverside is a must.