Hull City and Middlesbrough square off at the MKM Stadium on Wednesday night knowing that victory could prove decisive in the Championship playoff race.
These two teams currently sit in ninth and eighth position in the standings respectively, six points adrift of the final spot.
Match preview
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Of all the clubs that have been consistently challenging for the top six all season, Hull appear likely to be the ones to miss out, as it stands.
Just four points were collected from a six-game stint, a run that included four successive draws followed by defeats to Stoke City and Leeds United.
However, Liam Rosenior's side brilliantly bounced back at the weekend as they recorded a 3-1 victory away at Cardiff City, who had been a direct rival for sixth spot.
Three goals either side of half time proved enough for the Tigers ahead of what feels like two must-win home fixtures against Boro and Queens Park Rangers.
All things considered, though, Hull's record at the MKM Stadium is a poor one, just seven wins and 28 points coming from their 20 fixtures on familiar territory.
As for Middlesbrough, Michael Carrick must wonder where this kind of form was earlier in the campaign with his team having become one of the form teams in the division.
A total of five wins and two draws have been posted over a seven-game period, with the North East outfit conceding just two goals during that run.
Back-to-back 2-0 triumph have been registered at the Riverside Stadium against Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City respectively.
Boro have also collected more points on their travels than Hull have at home, the visitors boasting nine wins and 30 points from their 20 away encounters.
Team News
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Rosenior must decide whether to hand recalls to Lewie Coyle and Ryan Giles, who both missed the win over Cardiff through injury.
While each of them could plausibly return to the team, Rosenior may be prepared to stick with the side that impressed in Wales.
Tyler Morton should retain his spot in central midfield, despite his withdrawal after 62 minutes, while Anass Zaroury is an alternative in a creative role.
Even if Carrick is able to welcome back any of a lengthy injured contingent, they will only sit on the Boro substitutes' bench.
Rav van den Berg and Hayden Hackney both returned to the squad at the weekend and will have benefitted from the extra few days of training ahead of this contest.
Hull City possible starting lineup:
Allsop; Slater, Jones, Greaves, Jacob; Omur, Morton, Seri, Philogene; Tufan, Carvalho
Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Dieng; Ayling, Howson, Clarke, Thomas; Barlaser, O'Brien; Jones, Azaz, Greenwood; Latte Lath
We say: Hull City 1-2 Middlesbrough
With Hull now back on a high after the weekend victory in South Wales, they will fancy their chances of making it successive wins. However, Boro are currently one of the form teams in the division, and we are predicting that they will continue that run on Wednesday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Darren Plant
