Southampton FC vs Middlesbrough FC, Championship 2025-26 PLAYOFFS
Overview
Match Preview
Southampton FC vs Middlesbrough FC — Championship .
- Southampton FC 8 games · 10 pts (2026/27)
- Middlesbrough FC 8 games · 15 pts (2026/27)
Standings
| # | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swansea City AFC | 8 | 17 |
| 2 | West Ham United FC | 8 | 15 |
| 3 | Middlesbrough FC | 8 | 15 |
| 4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 7 | 14 |
| 5 | West Bromwich Albion FC | 8 | 14 |
| 6 | Queens Park Rangers FC | 8 | 13 |
| 7 | Stoke City FC | 8 | 13 |
| 8 | Bristol City FC | 8 | 13 |
| 9 | Charlton Athletic FC | 8 | 12 |
| 10 | Birmingham City FC | 8 | 11 |
| 11 | Millwall FC | 8 | 11 |
| 12 | Lincoln City FC | 8 | 11 |
| 13 | Southampton FC | 8 | 10 |
| 14 | Wrexham AFC | 8 | 10 |
| 15 | Bolton Wanderers FC | 8 | 10 |
| 16 | Blackburn Rovers FC | 8 | 9 |
| 17 | Norwich City FC | 8 | 9 |
| 18 | Sheffield United FC | 8 | 9 |
| 19 | Portsmouth FC | 7 | 8 |
| 20 | Watford FC | 8 | 8 |
| 21 | Cardiff City FC | 8 | 7 |
| 22 | Derby County FC | 8 | 5 |
| 23 | Preston North End FC | 8 | 4 |
| 24 | Burnley FC | 8 | 4 |
Head-to-Head
Recent Form
| Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 May | Middlesbrough FC | H | 2–1 | W |
| 09 May | Middlesbrough FC | A | 0–0 | D |
| 02 May | Preston North End FC | A | 3–1 | W |
| 28 Apr | Ipswich Town FC | H | 2–2 | D |
| 25 Apr | Manchester City FC | A | 1–2 | L |
| 21 Apr | Bristol City FC | H | 2–2 | D |
| Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 May | Southampton FC | A | 1–2 | L |
| 09 May | Southampton FC | H | 0–0 | D |
| 02 May | Wrexham AFC | A | 2–2 | D |
| 25 Apr | Watford FC | H | 5–1 | W |
| 22 Apr | Sheffield Wednesday FC | H | 1–0 | W |
| 19 Apr | Ipswich Town FC | A | 2–2 | D |
Season Stats
| Southampton FC | Middlesbrough FC | |
|---|---|---|
| #13 | Position | #3 |
| 10 | Points | 15 |
| 8 | Played | 8 |
| 4 / 2 / 2 | W / D / L | 4 / 3 / 1 |
| 19 | Scored | 16 |
| 10 | Conceded | 12 |
| +9 | GD | +4 |
| 1.25 | PPG | 1.88 |
| 50% | Win % | 50% |
Key Stats
67%
Both Teams to Score
H2H (6 games)
H2H (6 games)
50%
Over 2.5 Goals
H2H history
H2H history
0%
Clean Sheets
Southampton FC this season
Southampton FC this season
13%
Clean Sheets
Middlesbrough FC this season
Middlesbrough FC this season
Southampton FC are 13th (10 pts). Middlesbrough FC are 3rd (15 pts).
Goal Timing (This Season)
Southampton FC
0-15
2/2
16-30
1/2
31-45
5/1
46-60
3/2
61-75
2/1
76+
6/1
■ Scored ■ Conceded
Middlesbrough FC
0-15
3/3
16-30
2/–
31-45
2/1
46-60
2/4
61-75
3/3
76+
4/–
■ Scored ■ Conceded
Top Scorers (This Season)
Southampton FC
| Cyle Larin | 7 G | |
| Finn Azaz | 3 G | 4 A |
| Leo Scienza | 2 G | 2 A |
Middlesbrough FC
| William Lankshear | 6 G |
Events
Match Events
- 0' Both captains have shaken hands and the referee is ready. We are underway at !
- 5' Riley McGree adds to his 1 season tally! Middlesbrough FC lead 0-1 — and this changes everything.
- 10' A tactical chess match is unfolding here. The question is which manager blinks first.
- 13' Middlesbrough FC receives a card for a hard tackle on 13.
- 18' The referee has had an easy afternoon — neither side has been overly physical in the tackle.
- 23' Ryan Manning has certainly something to prove this evening. He made 1 appearances with only 1 goals this season.
- 28' Both keepers have barely been tested. Southampton FC and Middlesbrough FC are cancelling each other out in the centre of the park.
- 33' It looks like no one’s ball. Middlesbrough FC is used to counterattacking playing. None of the sides are ready to take the lead.
- 37' That is a card for Southampton FC. Nathan Wood-Gordon will be fuming at that decision.
- 38' A meaty challenge results in booking for Luke Ayling on 38.
- 39' That looks like a foul for a card for Luke Ayling.
- 44' It’s high time Tonda Eckert made some changes to put the his team’s game back to action.
- 46' A goal from the Scotland international Ross Stewart! He fires home on 45 to make it 1-1!
- 51' A quiet spell here at . Middlesbrough FC seem content sitting deep and soaking up pressure.
- 56' The referee reaches into his pocket. Out comes the card for Finn Azaz.
- 61' Although teams showed high tempo form the start, they seem to slow down a bit. Both sides really need to catch a fire. Otherwise, we have another goalless match.
- 66' Kuryu Matsuki makes way for Flynn Downes at the 66 minute mark. A tactical switch from Southampton FC.
- 71' will be watching from the dugout nervously. His Southampton FC side need to improve if they are to claim all three points.
- 73' It is a substitution in Middlesbrough FC team. Tommy Conway is replaced by Alan Browne on 73 minute.
- 78' The referee does not hesitate — a card for Adilson Malanda on 78 minutes.
- 83' Leo Castledine is ready to make an impact after coming on for David Strelec at the 83 minute mark.
- 84' Time for substitution for Southampton FC. Ross Stewart is replaced by Cyle Larin.
- 85' Southampton FC make a change. Leo Scienza trudges off to be replaced by Samuel Edozie on 85 minutes.
- 90' Solomon Brynn has been one of the livelier players on the pitch with 0 goals to his name this season.
- With this win, Southampton FC is likely to improve its situation in the overall team standings.
Lineups
Southampton FC Lineups
Starting XI
- 15
- 14
- 3
-
11
Ross Stewart ↓ Cyle Larin 84'
- 41
- 6
- 10
-
20
Caspar Jander ↓ Cameron Bragg 119'
-
27
Kuryu Matsuki ↓ Flynn Downes 66'
-
13
Leo Scienza ↓ Samuel Edozie 85'
- 24
Bench
- 5
-
4
Flynn Downes ↑ 66'
- 25
-
9
Cyle Larin ↑ 84'
- 19
- 34
- 18
-
23
Samuel Edozie ↑ 85'
-
48
Cameron Bragg ↑ 119'
Coach
Tonda Eckert
Middlesbrough FC Lineups
Starting XI
- 2
- 3
- 6
-
12
Luke Ayling ↓ Sontje Hansen 119'
-
8
Riley McGree ↓ Jeremy Sarmiento 106'
-
13
David Strelec ↓ Leo Castledine 83'
- 11
- 31
- 18
- 29
-
9
Tommy Conway ↓ Alan Browne 73'
Bench
-
16
Alan Browne ↑ 73'
- 25
-
27
Sontje Hansen ↑ 119'
- 22
-
45
Jeremy Sarmiento ↑ 106'
- 14
- 32
-
23
Leo Castledine ↑ 83'
- 15
Coach
Kim Hellberg
H2H
H2H Top Scorers
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| Riley McGree | 2 |
| Adam Armstrong | 2 |
| Emmanuel Latte Lath | 1 |
| Ross Stewart | 1 |
| Shea Charles | 1 |
| Jonny Howson | 1 |
Head to Head
Southampton FC Form
Middlesbrough FC Form
Predictions
Prediction accuracy
3 / 3
2.21
Southampton FC xG
Expected Goals
Dixon-Coles · Bivariate Poisson · Neg. Binomial · Elo
1.59
Middlesbrough FC xG
I would bet for:
Over 2.5 goals 72% + Both teams to score 70%
Match Result
✓ CorrectActual: Southampton FC win
Both Teams to Score
✓ Correct
Avg goals/match: 3.8
Actual: Yes — both scored
Over / Under Goals
✓ O/U 2.5| Line | Over | Under | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ± 0.5 | 97% |
|
3% |
| ± 1.5 | 89% |
|
11% |
| ± 2.5 | 72% |
|
28% |
| ± 3.5 | 52% |
|
48% |
| ± 4.5 | 33% |
|
67% |
Double Chance
Southampton FC or Draw
74%
Draw or Middlesbrough FC
48%
Southampton FC or Middlesbrough FC
78%
Half-Time Result
Correct Score
✓ In top 12
1 – 1
8.7%
2 – 1
Actual
2 – 2
6.6%
3 – 1
6.1%
1 – 2
6.1%
2 – 0
5.5%
3 – 2
4.9%
1 – 0
4.5%
3 – 0
4%
2 – 3
3.5%
0 – 0
3.4%
4 – 1
3.4%
Asian Handicap — Southampton FC
| Handicap | Southampton FC covers | Push | Middlesbrough FC covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| -2.5 | 16% | — | 84% |
| -2 | 16% | 15% | 69% |
| -1.5 | 31% | — | 69% |
| -1 | 31% | 20% | 49% |
| -0.5 | 51% | — | 49% |
| +0.5 | 73% | — | 27% |
| +1 | 73% | 14% | 13% |
| +1.5 | 87% | — | 13% |
| +2 | 87% | 8% | 5% |
| +2.5 | 95% | — | 5% |
Clean Sheet
Southampton FC keeps clean sheet
21%
✓
Middlesbrough FC keeps clean sheet
12%
✓
Predictions are statistical estimates based on season form, H2H history, and a Poisson model. Not financial advice.

