Birmingham hosts Middlesbrough in the Championship matchday 35. Both teams need three points, as the visitors want to return to the Premier League without the playoffs, while the hosts are just one point behind the top six. Birmingham had been in excellent form but suffered a 3-0 away defeat to Millwall last round. However, they rarely lose at home, with just one defeat in 16 matches at St. Andrew's.
Middlesbrough have been winless for three matches, losing their lead. But they remain extremely dangerous offensively, even on the road (they have scored in four consecutive away games). The teams already traded goals in the first half (2-1 to Middlesbrough), and now there's every chance they can repeat the high-scoring pattern.
Statistics show that both teams prefer attacking football and rarely leave the field without scoring. Given their tournament motivation, the form of their opponents, and their defensive woes, we expect both teams to score today.
