Middlesbrough welcome Portsmouth at Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough on Saturday, Dec 19 at 4:00 PM in a Championship fixture that's tighter on paper than the positions suggest — just 0 points split them in the table.

Middlesbrough come into this fixture in mixed form (1W 0D 1L). Portsmouth are in mixed form (1W 0D 1L), making this a relatively even contest on current form. Middlesbrough head into this on the back of a defeat, while Portsmouth arrive off a win — momentum clearly with the visitors.

Despite playing at home, Middlesbrough face a side that has dominated this fixture historically. Portsmouth have won 4 of 10 encounters, with 5 draws. Their last encounter ended in Portsmouth won 1–0. These two tend to produce goals — averaging 2.6 per game in recent meetings.

Verdict: This looks an evenly matched contest. Home advantage gives Middlesbrough a slight edge, but Portsmouth are capable of causing problems. A draw would be a fair result.