Middlesbrough will be looking to bounce back from their latest defeat when they face Portsmouth this weekend.
It has been a mixed start to the 2024/25 season for Michael Carrick and his Boro side.
Middlesbrough had previously failed to win their opening game of any campaign for 10 years prior to this season.
But a 1-0 win over Swansea City at the Riverside Stadium finally put that unwanted record to bed on August 10th.
Middlesbrough then beat Leeds United 3-0 in the League Cup, ending a six-year winless run against the Yorkshire outfit.
After such a positive start, the Teessiders were clear favourites when they travelled to Pride Park to face off with Paul Warne’s men last weekend.
However, Middlesbrough lost 1-0 versus Derby County on August 17th thanks to a 14th-minute strike from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.
It was a shock defeat, especially given how dominant Boro were across the 90 minutes.
Middlesbrough dominate Championship in one key area
After Derby took the lead last week, Carrick’s men penned them back in their own half for the remainder of the game.
However, despite having 70 percent possession and 20 shots on goal, Boro could not find an equaliser.
Middlesbrough now take on Portsmouth at the Riverside on August 24th and the away side are also expected to sit deep and invite pressure.
Ahead of the game, EFL pundit Sam Parkin, speaking on the Championship Check-in podcast, has revealed Boro now lead the division for the most shots taken.
He said: “It’s a tough game to predict. Middlesbrough have had the most shots of any team in the league across the first two games.
“They had so many opportunities against Derby in what ultimately ended in a defeat.
“I do think they will start to go in for them though – Tommy Conway added to the ranks there now as well.
“It’s going to take Pompey a little time and they’re a bit disrupted by some big players missing for the early part of the season. I will go for them to score, but lose at the Riverside. 3-1 to Middlesbrough.”
Middlesbrough must improve against Portsmouth
While leading the Championship for most shots taken is quite impressive, it does not mean an awful lot unless you are converting those chances into goals.
Middlesbrough scored three in the League Cup against Leeds but their goal record in the second division is still quite concerning.
The Teessiders have found the net on just one occasion in their opening two games despite having the most shots.
A key reason for this is the way Warne set up his Derby side last week, ensuring the majority of those efforts came from long-range and were not really threatening Josh Vickers.
As Portsmouth are also a newly-promoted team, Carrick’s men are likely to face the same problem at home this week.
In turn, Boro must find a way to start breaking down teams who sit back and do not allow Middlesbrough to hit them on the counter – something they have been so effective at under Carrick.