Middlesbrough and Stoke City meet at Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough on Wednesday, Feb 17 at 8:45 PM with both clubs firmly in the mix for the European places in the Championship. Stoke City hold the advantage but neither side can afford to drop points.

Middlesbrough come into this fixture drawing too many games (3D in last 5). Stoke City, meanwhile, arrive in red-hot form (4W from last 5) — actually the better-performing side in recent weeks.

Head-to-head records offer little separation — Middlesbrough and Stoke City have split their 10 meetings almost evenly (4W–3D–3W). Their last encounter ended in Stoke City won 1–2. These two tend to produce goals — averaging 2.8 per game in recent meetings.

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