Join Sports Mole for live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Middlesbrough and Swansea City at the Riverside Stadium. Both sides suffered heavy defeats in midweek, going down by three goals to Liverpool and West Bromwich Albion respectively, putting added significance on this fixture at the bottom end of the division. Three points for either side really would be massive, with that the margin currently separating the sides heading into this showdown.

This is the first of a huge run of fixtures between now and the New Year for Swansea, as they take on a string of sides around them. The picture will be far clearer for them come January 1, while for Boro they have just about done enough to keep their head above water throughout the campaign. A third defeat on the spin here today and that could well change, though, with a number of the sides at the bottom facing off on what should be another explosive weekend of top-flight action.

TEAM NEWS!

MIDDLESBROUGH XI: Valdes, Barragan, Chambers, Gibson, Fabio, Clayton, de Roon, Forshaw, Fischer, Ramirez, Negredo

SWANSEA CITY XI: Fabianski, Rangel, Amat, Mawson, Taylor, Britton, Fulton, Barrow, Sigurdsson, Routledge, Llorente

Starting with a look at the home team, Boro boss Aitor Karanka has made just the one change to his starting lineup from that 3-0 loss to Liverpool three days ago. Gaston Ramirez has been passed fit after picking up a foot injury recently, coming into the side in place of speedy trickster Adama Traore. That means Calum Chambers has also recovered from his awkward fall against the Reds to take his place in the heart of defence, alongside Ben Gibson.

George Friend returned to training this week but today's match was always likely to come too soon for the full-back to feature in the starting lineup, though he is named among the subs this afternoon - a big boost for the hosts. There is still no Daniel Ayala in the Boro squad, meanwhile, with his last outing coming in the match against Arsenal, and Christian Stuani is another who has fallen victim to a niggling injury problem.

Karanka has again gone with Alvaro Negredo up top; a player who has failed to score in 13 of his 15 appearances for the Smoggies since joining on loan in the summer. The Spaniard has three goals in all for Boro, with the club now in a position where they must decide whether to spent an eight-figure sum to sign him on a permanent deal. Boro really have struggled in front of goal this term, firing in the fewest shots (146), the fewest on target (41) and, more damning of all, scoring the fewest goals in the division with 13 in all.

In terms of the visitors, Bob Bradley has also made just the one alteration to his side by bringing in Modou Barrow for Jefferson Montero out wide. That means that the Swans will field the same XI from last weekend's victory over Sunderland, with their tricky winger being brought back into the fold having been left out in midweek. Rotation is key at this time of the season, but Borja Baston and Jack Cork are again omitted by the American.

Ki Sung-yueng and Federico Fernandez are still recovering from the same foot injury, so Bradley is very much restricted in who he can bring into his side this afternoon. The Swans produced a fine performance seven days ago to overcome fellow strugglers Sunderland, though, and this is the same lineup from that one so we can maybe expect more of the same. Gylfi Sigurdsson is of course the key component in this Swansea side, with his goals and assists ensuring that it is not lights out already.

BENCH WATCH!

MIDDLESBROUGH SUBS: Friend, Bernardo, Leadbitter, Rhodes, Guzan, Downing, Traore

SWANSEA CITY SUBS: Van der Hoorn, Fer, Borja Baston, Nordfeldt, Montero, Naughton

George Friend back among the subs for the hosts, then, having recovered from a knee injury in time to take up a place in the squad, but it is Fabio da Silva who has been given another run in the starting lineup this afternoon. Traore is the one player to drop out from the midweek defeat to Liverpool, while Jordan Rhodes is made to wait for his chance to impress. In terms of the visitors, Borja Baston and Leroy Fer are among the back-up options, as is Montero who drops out.

Aitor Karanka and Bob Bradley have both made a change apiece to their starting lineups; Middlesbrough bringing in Gaston Ramirez for Adama Traore and Swansea City turning to Mo Barrow in place of Jefferson Montero in a like-for-like alteration. A big afternoon ahead for both teams, then, with just three points currently separating them at the bottom end of the division.

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Boro find themselves 16th in the table ahead of kickoff at the Riverside Stadium, three points ahead of their opponents and just about keeping themselves afloat. Many backed the Smoggies to stay up fairly comfortably when, after spending wisely in the summer - building on what was already a decent-enough squad from the Championship - they began the campaign with a three-game unbeaten run, taking five points from nine. It is fair to say that it has not been quite as straightforward since then, however, particularly over the last week following back-to-back defeats.

A run of three defeats, and no win in seven, followed that impressive start to leave the Smoggies looking over their shoulder. Karanka's men have managed to beat two of the three sides below them already this season, though, which is largely to thank for them being able to keep themselves above the dreaded drop zone ahead of Christmas. Another win today will see that gap open up further on the Swans, though defeat and all of a sudden the pressure is really on all of a sudden.

Boro have won three games in all this season, the last of which came against Hull City here at the start of the month. Defeats to Southampton and Liverpool in the past six days has changed the mood slightly, it is fair to say, particularly with the latter being such a comprehensive loss at the hands of the division's top-scoring side. Plenty for Karanka to still remain positive about, however, particularly with this match being followed up by a clash against Burnley on Boxing Day - a real chance to take six points from six.

The bottom half of the division remains as tight as ever, with two wins on the spin enough to take Boro potentially up towards 11th or 12th place, depending on results elsewhere. Scoring goals, as touched upon a little earlier, really has been a major concern for the Smoggies this term; no side scoring fewer than their tally of 13 from 16 games. The Smoggies have actually found the net more frequently on their travels than here at the Riverside Stadium, but their defensive record is still pretty strong as they are among the best sides in the division in that regard.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS! This is the first top-flight meeting between these two sides since 1982 and just Swansea City's third competitive match at the Riverside Stadium - a ground in which they have remained unbeaten, with a win and a draw from those previous visits. The Swans have won each of the last three encounters overall in league and cup, including a 4-3 victory here in the Championship five years ago. Their last defeat to Middlesbrough on Teesside came in November 1983 in a second-tier fixture.

The omens may seem good for the visitors, then, who are unbeaten on Teesside in some 33 years - albeit in a fixture that has been played few and far between over those past three decades. The Swans are currently situated in 18th place in the table after a dismal start to the season, that has already seen them sack one manager and reportedly come close to parting company with another. The pressure may be on Bradley, but he knows a win here and the picture changes completely.

On the flip side, Swansea know that if they were to lose for a second time in the space of three days they will have an even bigger margin to make up. Defeat for Crystal Palace at the hands of league leaders Chelsea has ensured that the Eagles remain in the mire, with Alan Pardew also tipped to be sacked in the coming days or weeks, but West Ham United and Hull City face off elsewhere this afternoon, while Sunderland also have a winnable fixture at home to mid-table Watford.

It is fair to say that this is a huge fortnight for Swansea ahead of the January transfer window, then, with games against West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth to win this equally-important showdown with Boro on Teesside. January looks far tougher, with a couple of big name sides to face, but come January 1 supporters will know exactly if their current group of players has what it takes to replicate last season by climbing out of the drop zone and into a comfortable mid-table finish.

It has been an interested campaign for Middlesbrough to date, who have won just three of their 16 matches but have managed to keep themselves out of danger for large parts. That is down to the fact that they have defeated two of the three sides below them - Sunderland and Hull City - and it could be a perfect three should they overcome Swansea City this afternoon. The Swans are hardly down and out just yet, sitting three points further back in 18th place.

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If Swansea are to indeed pick up some vital points over the Christmas and New Year period then they must find some consistency. Results have actually been pretty mixed over the past month; wins over Sunderland and Crystal Palace, plus a draw with Everton at Goodison Park, accounting for more than half of their season's points tally. They were thrashed by Tottenham Hotspur and also beaten 3-1 by West Brom in their last two away outings, however, ensuring that the mood remains pretty glum.

Only Hull have conceded more goals than Swansea this season, but it must be remembered that Middlesbrough are also the division's lowest-scoring side. You would not put this down as a must-win game just yet, though it certainly falls into the must-not-lose category if City are to keep another side in the mix to go down. It goes without saying really that this is the Swans' lowest tally after 16 games of a Premier League season, but they were also in the bottom three at Christmas last year before finishing in a respectable 12th.

DID YOU KNOW? Swansea City have conceded 15 goals in their five Premier League away games under Bob Bradley at a rate of three-per-game. They have also lost four of their last five matches away to newly-promoted opposition; their only victory in that run coming against Burnley at Turf Moor on the opening day of this season thanks to a late Leroy Fer goal in Lancashire.

With kickoff now a little under 15 minutes away at the Riverside Stadium, let us turn attention to some pre-match thoughts from both camps.

Aitor Karanka: "Against Southampton we were as good as them but didn't win, but against Liverpool they were much better than us in the second half. It was a tough day but we have to forget that. Especially on Saturday - it's an important game but I don't want to put pressure on as it's December and we are doing well. The performances have been good playing in the way we have, we will score goals. The main thing for us is to be as organised as a team."

Bob Bradley: "You look at the table, and games against teams that are closer to you do take on more importance. But I think we can all agree that every game is massive for us right now. We understand that the start to the season we have had, and the league position we are in, make it extra important every time we step on to the field. If we can put a little bit of a run together at some point, then all of a sudden we would be out of the bottom three."

Karanka admitting there that his side were very much second best against Liverpool in a dominant display from the Reds, but he does have a case when suggesting that Boro were a tad unfortunate to lose at Southampton last Sunday. Goals are a major problem for the Smoggies, yet Karanka is mainly concerned about getting his side organised all over the field to, as he claims, get the best out of those forward players. The pressure in on Negredo, who has three in 15 outings.

Bradley, meanwhile, acknowledges that every game is "massive" for his side now. This run of fixtures could prove to be a good thing or a bad thing - we will likely know come 5pm this afternoon - as an out-of-confidence Swans side prepare to take on a raft of teams around them between now and the New Year. Bradley has targeted a run of wins, though consistency has certainly not been on the list of the Swans' positives from this season thus far.

PREDICTION! Not long to go until kickoff on Teesside now, so it seems like a good time to offer a pre-match prediction. This is a ground that Swansea City have performed well at on their two visits to date, and they have also won each of the last three overall against Middlesbrough in all competitions. Boro have struggled to score goals and Swansea have struggled to keep them out, but I am going to go with a 1-1 draw this afternoon - a result that will suit the visitors a little more than their opponents.

Both sets of players have now made their way into the tunnel area, where they will soon be led out by the mascots. A quick chance to catch up on the early result in the Premier League already today, which saw Chelsea make it 11 win on the spin by squeezing past Crystal Palace 1-0 at Selhurst Park. That is a good result for both of these teams, whose hopes of 'doing a Leicester' have long since ended, with victory for Boro enough to take them potentially as high as 13th place.

Swansea will not escape the relegation zone with a victory - not unless they win by double figures today, anyway! - but they will draw level with both Boro and Palace if they pick up maximum points. Sunderland and Hull will both feel confident of claiming victories from their respective fixtures, meanwhile, so this could well be a decisive day at the bottom of the table. Remember, if you are bottom on Christmas Day, chances are you are going to go down... unless you're Sunderland, of course!

We are now just two minutes away from kickoff at the Riverside Stadium, with both sets of players now out on the field of play. A quick reminder of the teams for you - Middlesbrough have made one change, bringing in Ramirez for Traore, while Swansea have also made just the one alteration by replacing Montero with Barrow. Superb atmosphere inside this group; now let us hope for an entertaining match!

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KICKOFF! Fabio caught out by Barrow for the first time this afternoon, but the Swansea winger is thwarted by Gibson. Positive start made by Swansea City, who will see this as a big chance to put three points on the board against fellow strugglers Middlesbrough.

SAVE! Really positive start by Swansea, who blast away the first shot on goal via Sigurdsson's 25-yard drive. Easy enough for Valdes to palm away, but he did have to be alert so early into this so far one-sided match.

As good as Swansea have started this match, it must be said that Boro have been very slow out of the blocks. That early wave of pressure now appears to be over, however, so they can now settle themselves into the match.

It is still the visitors who are on top in this six-pointer at the bottom of the Premier League, settling into things well and asking the odd question of their opponents' backline. Viktor Fischer has just pulled up off the ball with an injury.

Really good attempt from Negredo, who remained onside and volleyed a pass towards Forshaw at the back post. Fabianski read it well and slapped the ball away - not quite an attempt on goal, but closest Boro have come by some distance.

MIDDLESBROUGH SUB! Fischer attempted to run off that knock, but he has not stopped hobbling and has now been replaced by Stewart Downing. Not what Karanka would have wanted so early in the game, but hardly the end of the world.

A lively enough start to the match for both sides - Swansea coming close through a well-struck Sigurdsson strike and Boro likewise up the other end when Negredo volleyed across goal. The opener in this one could well prove decisive.

Valdes in a footrace with Barrow, which would have ended only one way if not for the head start afforded to the Spaniard. The former Barcelona stopper got to the ball first, clearing high into the stands to deny the visitors a run in behind.

Swansea seeing considerably more of the ball in the opening quarter of this game, but they have yet to create a clear-cut chance of any note. Just the one Sigurdsson drive from 25 yards out, which Valdes was able to palm to safety early on.

Same old story for Swansea, as a pretty dominant start to the game - in terms of possession, at least - results in them actually falling behind. Clayton did well down the left, but his cross towards Negredo on the penalty spot was a little behind his teammate. No problem for Boro's top scorer, as he connected brilliantly with the ball and sent it straight past Fabianski.

Boro starting to enjoy themselves now, and Negredo in particular who picks out Barragan with a rabona pass. The subsequent cross is well headed away in a central position before a player in red could sweep it home at the back post.

CLOSE! Boro come close to bagging themselves a second goal of the afternoon, as Ramirez curls a free kick from 25 yards onto the roof of the Swansea net. Some supporters thought it was in - not quite, but you do not come much closer.

City have been unable to really get their foot on the ball since going behind - a complete reversal to the opening 18 minutes or so of this game prior to that superb Negredo opener. Routledge fizzes the ball back towards his keeper, who fails to get there and Boro have a corner from nothing.

PENALTY TO MIDDLESBROUGH! From that corner kick, Fabianski watched the ball well and was able to collect with ease. Boro composed themselves and broke forward again soon after, with Amat chopping down Forshaw when he cut into the box. Easy decision - Boro pen.

Negredo, on a real high after scoring his fourth goal of the season just 10 minutes ago, calmly sends Fabianski the wrong way. Bob Bradley is unhappy on the touchline but that looked a real clear penalty for me, even if Forshaw did make the most of it.

Talk that Swansea were unhappy with the throw-in awarded to Boro in the build-up to that penalty, rather than the challenge from Amat on Forshaw. Will have to see that again before commenting, but Swansea really cannot afford to defend like that, regardless.

Barrow is through and converts past Valdes, but he was well offside. The winger wanted the ball a little earlier but was made to wait, though that is a promising piece of play by the Swans. Boro need to be careful not to concede before the break.

Better from Swansea, as they put together another attacking move which culminates in the ball being fizzed towards Fulton inside the box. No shot arrived but the Swans do have themselves a corner, with around 10 minutes of the half to go.

Negredo clears from Sigurdsson's corner, but there is a real sense of momentum now swinging in the visitors' favour. Barrow looking the biggest threat with his movement in behind from his starting position on the right-hand side.

Boro have hardly been at their free-flowing best, managing just two shots on target so far - both resulting in goals. Swansea have one shot of their own, which Sigurdsson sent towards the top corner only for Valdes to help it aside.

Boro struggling for momentum since that second Negredo goal, but at the moment they are not exactly being made to pay. A Swansea goal changes things, of course, though a lack of room in the final third is seeing them easily dealt with.

Scoring goals, rather than keeping them out, has been the hosts' biggest problem this term. With two of their own scored in the first half, there is no harm in shutting out the opposition for the next 45 minutes or so. Three points are three points, after all.

Three minutes have been added on at the end of this first half. Just seen a replay of the throw-in in the build-up to Boro's pen - too tough to call. Mawson's head injury has eaten up a couple of minutes, so we are likely to play for another few minutes here.

Some defending for Boro to do late in this first half at the Riverside Stadium, which they are doing with ease. Two-goal advantage at the break now almost certain; part one of the plan very much pulled off by Karanka's men in this huge fixture.

Referee Neil Swarbrick blows for half time, ensuring that Middlesbrough do indeed take a two-goal lead into the interval. Concerning for Bob Bradley's side, who actually started the better and fell behind against the run of play fairly early on. Alvaro Negredo added a second from the spot, putting Boro on the brink of a fourth league win of the season.

The visitors made a bright start to the contest, testing Victor Valdes early on through a well-struck Gylfi Sigurdsson shot, but against the run of play Boro scored from their first real attacking move. Alvaro Negredo had one volleyed cross helped aside by Lukasz Fabianski, yet there was only one winner when the Spaniard was picked out by Adam Clayton 18 minutes in. Despite the ball being slightly behind him, Negredo met the ball on the half-volley and sent it past the reach of Fabianski, taking his tally for the season to four goals in 16 appearances.

That goal ensured that Swansea have now gone behind in 12 of their 17 fixtures so far this season, while also making Negredo Boro's outright top-scorer in all competitions this term. The on-loan striker did not have to wait too much longer for a second, either, coolly converting from the spot after Jordi Amat chopped down Adam Forshaw inside the box. Gaston Ramirez, back in the side after passing a late fitness test, also skimmed the room of the net with his free kick, but that proved to be it in terms of the first-half chances.

It has very much been a case of Boro sitting back on their advantage since going two goals ahead, restricting their opponents to very little in terms of space in the final third. Swansea's only shot so far was that long-range Sigurdsson drive, but they are likely to boss the possession stats in the second half and know that one goal changes everything. Whether or not they can score it against this stubborn Smoggies backline is another matter entirely.

Middlesbrough have already been forced into one change, bringing on Stewart Downing for Viktor Fischer early on, but could Aitor Karanka make another alteration? Unlikely, of course, with Bob Bradley the more likely to tinker with things as Swansea City trail by two goals at the midway stage at the Riverside Stadium.

MIDDLESBROUGH SUBS: Friend, Bernardo, Leadbitter, Rhodes, Guzan, Traore

SWANSEA CITY SUBS: Van der Hoorn, Fer, Borja Baston, Nordfeldt, Montero, Naughton

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RESTART! Swansea get us back under way at the Riverside Stadium, looking to recover from a two-goal deficit. No changes made by either manager at the break, so it is as you were in that regard as the visitors earn themselves an early corner.

Much like in the first half, Swansea start bright and ask some questions of Valdes. Boro looking to hit their opponents on the counter already, which will likely be a theme throughout the remainder of this contest on Teesside.

A terrible pass in midfield is pounced on by Swansea's most creative player in Sigurdsson. The Icelandic ace in turn tried to squeeze it through to Llorente, but the ball hit the back of his foot and Boro could clear their lines.

SHOT! Boro's first shot of the afternoon that has not ended in the back of the net. Downing puts his foot through the ball from range, sending it right down the middle for Fabianski to keep out with relative ease.

A searching ball towards Llorente does not quite come off in the way that the Swans intended, but the game is certainly open at the minute which seems to be suiting the visitors. Barragan fails to clear a shot, though the Swans cannot turn the ball goalwards.

City looking very bright at the moment, though that was also the case in the opening 45 minutes when they went on to concede 18 minutes in. Karanka may be thinking about a second change of the afternoon, with his side sitting back a little too much.

With a little over a third of the match still to play across the 3pm kickoffs in the Premier League, Middlesbrough currently find themselves in the lofty heights of 13th place. Swansea, on the other hand, are back bottom of the table.

That should do it! A really well worked goal for the hosts, as Ramirez sends the ball into the box at the end of the flowing move for De Roon to smartly convert past Fabianski. The Smoggies were the division's lowest scorers prior to kickoff, but they have been so clinical today.

This really has been a replica of the first half, because once again the Swans have started the half on top; once again they concede first to surely end this contest. Boro now the side going in search of the game's fourth goal.

MIDDLESBROUGH SUBS! Gaston Ramirez is replaced by George Friend, who makes his welcome return to action. Not quite sure what that means for Fabio - likely a more advanced role for him. Swansea brought on Baston for Barrow a few minutes ago, incidentally.

Routledge has been more involved in the game in this second half, with his cross from the right being met by Llorente from 10 yards out. The ex-Sevilla man's header ends over the bar, though, greeted by more than a few ironic jeers.

Barragan with a superb block in front of goal to deny Swansea a potential route back into the game at the Riverside Stadium. Even a goal for the Swans now would hardly trouble their opponents, though, with a three-goal margin built up.

Half-chances at either end, as Gibson heads over from a Downing free kick and Mawson does likewise when picked out by a Sigurdsson corner. Sigurdsson then sends a shot high over the bar in frustration more than anything.

SWANSEA CITY SUB! Leon Britton is replaced by Swansea's joint-top scorer Leroy Fer for the final 18 minutes or so. Angel Rangel will now take over captaincy duties in a match that appears to be all but over at this stage.

Very little happening at the moment, with Boro working their way towards goal but hardly having to break into a sweat. Very much job done for them, while Swansea try their best to at least grab themselves a consolation goal.

SWANSEA CITY SUB! A final roll of the dice for Bradley, who brings on Montero for Routledge. We have been devoid of any real chances in this second half, with Boro converting from the only real sight they have had of goal.

Boro really are coasting to victory now. Swansea actually seeing more of the ball but are still not able to do much with it, as Llorente's run again goes unspotted and another attack from the visiting side comes to nothing.

BLOCK! Swansea now being kept off the bottom of the table by Hull, who are trailing 1-0 at West Ham. They almost had themselves a consolation here, too, only for Gibson to get in the way of Fer's goalbound shot.

SHOT! Friend almost capping this impressive Boro performance with a goal of his own on his return to action. Friend linked with fellow left-back Fabio and was slotted through, but his shot ended well off target.

Sigurdsson's appeal for a penalty waved away after being nudged inside the box - looked to be the correct call. City do probably deserve a goal for their efforts but it will certainly not change things in terms of the eventual winners.

MIDDLESBROUGH SUB! Fabio leaves to a really good ovation following a fine individual performance. Adama Traore is the man to replace him on the wing, being given four minutes or so to make an impression here.

Sigurdsson with two shots in two minutes, both of which end narrowly wide. Barragan has just picked up a knock following a challenge on Montero, but all three Boro changes have now been made. No big deal if they go down to 10 men.

SAVE! Top save from Valdes, who keeps out Llorente's header from four yards out with one hand. He has had little to do, but that will surely now preserve his clean sheet, with just three added minutes to come.

Swansea make a real mess of things at the back, but Forshaw cannot get a shot away when given an empty net to aim for. The ball is instead worked to Traore, yet there is a raft of white shirts back by that point and Boro fail to add a fourth.

A rather quiet second half on the whole, up until the final 10 minutes or so when both sides had chances to add a fourth goal of the game. It mattered little in the end, though, as the job had long been done for Middlesbrough. The Smoggies pick up three valuable points with the 3-0 win, sending them six points clear of Swansea City and condemning Bob Bradley to further misery.

That concludes Sports Mole's live text updates of events at the Riverside Stadium. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while coverage of the evening kickoff between West Bromwich Albion and Manchester United is also now under way. Enjoy!