Our prediction for this Championship match:
Middlesbrough
Match Time & Date:
24/08/2024
16:00
Prediction: 1-0
Portsmouth
Middlesbrough will look to recover from a 1-0 loss to Derby County when they take on Portsmouth in the Championship round 3. The Boro defeated Swansea in their first home game of the season, which is fuelling fans with optimism ahead of the visit of Portsmouth. All Tom Smith, Marcus Forss, and Alex Bangura remain in the recovery room, while there are no fresh injury worries in the home team.
The Pompey, on the other hand, head into Saturday’s clash following a goalless draw with Luton Town. Portsmouth, though, are not regarded as good travellers, which is probably the main reason why we are going to bet on the home side. In their last meeting in the English second tier, back in 2012, Middlesbrough defeated Portsmouth 3-1, which goes in favour of our earlier prediction. The likes of Joshua Murphy, Regan Poole, Jacob Farrell, and Tom McIntyre miss out with injuries for the away team.
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 (Portsmouth):
During Milan Mandaric’s era at the club, Portsmouth played an important role in the Premier League, with the team finishing their debut season (2003/2004) in the 13th position in the standings. The club impressed in the 2008/2009 season, with Nwankwo Kanu’s goal helping them beat Cardiff City in the FA Cup final.
As a result, Portsmouth represented England in the Europa League, with the team progressing in the group stages of the competition thanks to a win over Vitoria Gimaraes in the final qualifying round. The current club was formed in 2013, but the original amateur club was founded back in 1883. Nowadays Portsmouth host their rivals at Fratton Park, with the venue holding up to 20,620 spectators.
The likes of Sol Campbell, David James, Glen Johnson and aforementioned Nigeria international Nwankwo Kanu are considered one of the club’s most notable players. Portsmouth wear blue shirts, white shorts and red socks when hosting their rivals at Fratton Park, while wearing white and blue colours when playing on the road.
Brighton
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Las Palmas 
Crystal Palace
Newcastle 
Borussia Dortmund 
Bayern Munich 
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Chelsea 
Aston Villa 
