Middlesbrough U21 face Leicester City U21 at Heritage Park, Bishop Auckland, County Durham on Friday, Dec 11 at 8:00 PM in a basement battle that neither side can afford to lose. Both clubs are deep in the relegation picture in the Premier League 2, and defeat here could prove costly come the end of the season.

Middlesbrough U21 come into this fixture out of form (0W 2L recently). Leicester City U21 travel out of form (0W 2L recently), which may hand the initiative to the hosts.

Head-to-head records offer little separation — Middlesbrough U21 and Leicester City U21 have split their 2 meetings almost evenly (1W–0D–1W). Their last encounter ended in Middlesbrough U21 won 1–3. These two tend to produce goals — averaging 4.0 per game in recent meetings.

Verdict: Little separates these two on form or history. Home advantage could be the deciding factor — a narrow Middlesbrough U21 win or a draw looks most likely.