Our prediction for this Championship match:
Middlesbrough
Match Time & Date:
24/02/2024
16:00
Prediction: 2-1
Plymouth
After shocking Leicester City at King Power Stadium, Middlesbrough will be aiming to keep their playoffs hopes alive when they welcome Plymouth to their Riverside Stadium on Matchday 34. The weekend triumph gave Michael Carrick’s men a confidence boost and, as a result, they are seen as hot favourites to beat the Pilgrims in front of home fans. All Isaiah Jones, Alex Bangura, Emmanuel Latte Lath, Tom Smith, and Darragh Lenihan are sidelined with injuries, but there are no suspended players in the home team.
Plymouth, on the other hand, are not regarded as good travellers and given their poor display in a 3-0 loss to WBA, home win should definitely be considered. As for the visiting side, both Adam Forshaw and Michael Cooper are out of contention through injuries, but there are no suspended players in the visiting team. Mikel Miller is pushing for a recall to the starting XI.
Highlighted Player (Paddy McNair):
Following in the footsteps of his compatriot Jonny Evans, Paddy McNair joined the Manchester United academy in 2011 and he was surprisingly handed first team debut by Louis van Gaal at the start of the 2014/2015 season.
Despite his fragile age, the talented central defender has been putting in some very mature performances ever since, and everything suggests he could go on to become an important player at Old Trafford in years to come. After representing a number of youth sides, McNair made his first appearance for the Northern Ireland senior national team in a March 2015 friendly vs Scotland, before making another three outings as his side secured their place at the Euro 2016 finals.
Northern Ireland coach Michael O’Neill surprisingly played McNair in holding midfield in the March 2016 friendly vs Wales. After the youngster impressed in the middle of the park, O’Neill went on to suggest that the Manchester United starlet may be used in midfield rather than defence in years to come in the national team.
Highlighted Team (Plymouth):
Nicknamed the Pilgrims, Plymouth are a professional football club that host their rivals at Home Park. The stadium, which can hold up to 18,600 people, was built in 1892 and opened the following year. Plymouth footballers wear dark green jerseys and white shorts when playing in front of home fans, while light green and white are the dominant colours of their away kit.
The Pilgrims made it to the FA Cup semi-finals in the 1983-84 season, with the team advancing to the Football League Cup semis on two occasions (1964-65, 1973-74). The Pilgrims recorded their biggest win against Millwall on January 16, 1932, with the team beating the Lions 8-1, and they repeated the success in 1994 as they rolled over Hartlepool United in the Second Division.
The club suffered their heaviest defeat against Stoke City (0-9) on December 17, 1960. Fellow Devon teams Exeter City and Torquay United are seen as the club’s fiercest rivals.
Brighton
Southampton
Barcelona
Las Palmas 
Crystal Palace
Newcastle 
Borussia Dortmund 
Bayern Munich 
West Ham
Arsenal
Chelsea 
Aston Villa 
