Stoke City 1-3 Middlesbrough

Current streaks

Recent form

Stoke City

Stoke City's recent form has been inconsistent, with two wins, two draws, and two losses in their last six matches. The Potters have struggled defensively, keeping only one clean sheet in their past five games. Their attacking prowess has been notable, however, with an average of 1.67 goals scored per game. High-scoring encounters have been a feature of Stoke's recent fixtures, with 67% of their matches seeing over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring in two-thirds of the games. The 3-3 draw against Cardiff City in the FA Cup and the 4-2 loss to Norwich City stand out as particularly goal-laden affairs. Despite their attacking output, Stoke's defensive frailties have led to a negative goal difference and a concerning 19th position in the Championship table, suggesting they are in a relegation battle with just 35 points from 32 games.

Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough are enduring a torrid run of form, having lost their last five matches in the Championship. This alarming streak has seen them slip to 11th in the table, conceding 11 goals whilst scoring only 5 during this period. Their last victory came against West Brom on 21st January, where they kept their only clean sheet in the past six games. The Teessiders have been involved in several high-scoring affairs, with 67% of their recent matches seeing over 2.5 goals. Particularly noteworthy was their 3-2 defeat to local rivals Sunderland, highlighting their defensive frailties. Middlesbrough's goal difference of -4 over the last six games underscores their struggles at both ends of the pitch, with their average of 1.83 goals conceded per game a cause for significant concern.

Recent home/away form

Stoke City

Stoke City's recent home form has been a mixed bag, with the Potters showing resilience but struggling to consistently find the back of the net. The team have gone unbeaten in their last five home matches, a positive run that includes two wins and three draws. However, their goal-scoring record has been somewhat erratic, with a high-scoring 3-3 draw against Cardiff City in the FA Cup contrasting sharply with two goalless stalemates against Oxford United and Plymouth Argyle. Defensively, Stoke have been relatively solid, keeping three clean sheets in their last six home games. The most recent fixture, a 3-1 victory over Swansea, represents their highest-scoring performance in this stretch and could potentially signal an upturn in their attacking fortunes. Despite these encouraging signs, Stoke's 19th position in the league table suggests they still have significant room for improvement in their overall performances.

Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough's recent away form has been particularly poor, with the team currently on a concerning four-match losing streak on the road. This run of defeats has seen them concede two goals in each of these matches, whilst only managing to score once per game. Their last away victory came on New Year's Day against Hull City, which was also their only clean sheet in the last six away fixtures. The standout match in terms of scoring was the 3-3 draw with Plymouth Argyle, contributing significantly to the high average of 3.33 total goals per game across these six matches. Notably, both teams have scored in 83% of these away games, and 83% have seen over 2.5 goals, indicating that Middlesbrough's away matches tend to be high-scoring affairs. However, their defensive frailties are evident, having conceded 12 goals in six games, which is likely hampering their progress in the Championship table.