MATCH THREAD: " MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY " MATCH THREAD

MIDDLESBROUGH v CARDIFF CITY
Saturday 17th October, 12.30pm
Sky Bet Championship - Match 11
Riverside Stadium






Cardiff City will be without both Dylan Lawlor and Rubin Colwill for Saturday’s trip to Middlesbrough

Lawlor was forced off early in Tuesday’s win against Watford with a hamstring injury while Colwill has missed the past five matches with an ankle problem and will remain unavailable this weekend




TEAM NEWS:

Lawlor out again Hamstring injury.


Salech???


Calum Chambers still a long way to go

Rubin Colwill massive doubt still

Krystian Bielik is Back, had been suspended for two matches



BBM:

“ Rubin and Salech “

"They were in training this yesterday and they both trained well but not close enough for last night .”

“I'll have to see how they are on Thursday with a view to Saturday. Probably doubtful at the moment."

Middlesbrough-Riverside-Stadium-1.png

About Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough are now in their 10th successive season in the Championship, having been relegated from the Premier League in 2017.

Last season they finished 5th. Despite losing their play-off semi final they progressed to the final due to Southampton being expelled, but lost to Hull.

They are amongst the favourites for promotion this season and are currently 2nd with 21 points from 10 games.

Club Connections

Sol Bamba spent five years with us before joining Middlesbrough, where he ended his playing career.

Cameron Jerome, Andy Campbell and Andrew Taylor are amongst others to have played for both clubs.

The Opposition's Manager

Kim Hellberg has been Middlesbrough manager since November 2025.

He is thought of in high regard and equalled the record for the best start made by a new Middlesbrough manager. He had them spent the majority of last season in the top two but fell into the play-offs towards the end of the season.

His previous managerial experience was all in Sweden.

Opposition Dangerous Players

Will Lankshear was a summer arrival and already has eight league goals this season.

Amario Cozier-Duberry is on loan from Brighton after a successful loan in League One with Bolton last season, he has two goals and two assists in the league.

Referee

Tom Nield will take charge of this game.

Last season he refereed 28 games, showing 99 yellow cards - an average of 3.5 per game. He also issued one red card.

This season he has shown 13 yellow cards in 6 games.

Head To Head - Last Five Meetings

We have a poor recent record against Middlesbrough, losing four out of the last five meetings.

The one game they haven't won in that time was the last fixture between the two teams, which was a 1-1 draw at the Riverside in the Championship in January 2025.

Team News - Predicted Line-Ups

Middlesbrough: Vitek, Brittain, Ayling, Phillips, Malanda, Borges, Berhalter, Morris, Cozier-Duberry, Sarmiento, Lankshear

Cardiff City: Trott, Ng, Fish, Osho, Bagan, Robertson, J Colwill, Ashford, Tanner, Willock, Moylan

Last Game

We won 5-1 at home to Watford on Tuesday.

Middlesbrough won 3-2 at Stoke on the same night.

Match Odds

Middlesbrough - 1/2
Cardiff City - 4/1
Draw - 3/1

Predictions

Post your predictions below

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This is such a tough game. Middlesbrough are one of the best teams in this league and I said before the season they'd be 2nd, but wouldn't be a surprise if they won the league.

Would be nice if we can get something but I can't see it if I'm being totally honest (that's no reflection on us but more how good they are), hopefully we can be competitive though.

I see this as a free hit , im not expecting anything from this as middlesbrough are one of the teams I expect to finish top 2 this is not one of the games that will define our season but if we could scrap our way to a point id be delighted

BBM:

“ Rubin and Salech “

"They were in training this yesterday and they both trained well but not close enough for last night .”

“I'll have to see how they are on Thursday with a view to Saturday. Probably doubtful at the moment."

TEAM NEWS:

Lawlor out again Hamstring injury.


Salech???


Calum Chambers still a long way to go

Rubin Colwill massive doubt still

Krystian Bielik is Back, had been suspended for two matches

Sat 17 Oct Middlesbrough vs. Cardiff City 12:30pm (Sky Sports+)


Sat, Oct 24, 2026 (3pm) - Birmingham City (h)

Sat, Oct 31, 2026 (3pm) - Wolverhampton Wanderers (a)









November

Wed Nov 4, 2026 (7.45pm) - West Ham United (h)

Sat Nov 7, 2026 (3pm) - Burnley (h)

Sat 21st Nov 12:30pm Norwich City vs. Cardiff City


Tues Nov 24, 2026 (7.45pm) - Preston North End (h)



Swansea City vs. Cardiff City - Sunday, 29th Nov, 12:00pm (Sky Sports Football)

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Table:

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3-1 to Boro

Cardiff City will be without both Dylan Lawlor and Rubin Colwill for Saturday’s trip to Middlesbrough

Lawlor was forced off early in Tuesday’s win against Watford with a hamstring injury while Colwill has missed the past five matches with an ankle problem and will remain unavailable this weekend

Boss Kim Hellberg thinks Middlesbrough have made an "impressive" start to the "marathon" Championship season, but says his side cannot afford to take their foot off the pedal.

Boro are second in the table, two points off the top, after just one defeat in their opening 10 games.

Seven of those fixtures have come against sides in the top 11 while in the other two they won at home to Lincoln, who have taken nine points from their other four away games and drew at newly-relegated Burnley, who have lost just once in five games at Turf Moor.

Hellberg told BBC Radio Tees he was pleased with how things were going, but added: "It's 46 games, with 36 left - it's a marathon. It's all about picking up points in the beginning of the season to take yourself to a position where you can look at the table in January and see where you are at.

"Of course you follow everything and see we have started very good, we have played a lot of teams who have actually had a very good start themselves, which is impressive.

"With everything that was around, how the last season ended (losing in the Championship play-off final), so many players coming in late, injuries, there was a lot of possible excuses for not starting the season as well as we have done, but the players have been absolutely excellent."

Back-to-back wins at home to Wolves and at Stoke have Boro riding a wave of optimism but Hellberg said players, staff and even fans need to maintain their focus.
"It's easy to drop some percentage," he said. "It's important for everyone to not do that. Enjoy it, but bring your A-game."

Cardiff visit the Riverside on Saturday (12:30 BST) with the Bluebirds unbeaten in five home games but having taken just a point from their five on the road.

"They have been very good, a tough opponent," Hellberg said. "They deserve more points than they have got. They are very brave in their attacking mindset, it's a massive challenge and I think it will be a very good football game."

I see this as a free hit , im not expecting anything from this as middlesbrough are one of the teams I expect to finish top 2 this is not one of the games that will define our season but if we could scrap our way to a point id be delighted

Agree. And if we lose at least we have the consolation that they will knock the Jacks off the top.

We can f*cking win this if BBM sorts the middle out and changes his system but I doubt he will, we shall see although I've gone for a city win with some good football if we can weather the onslaught early on let's be honest we should have atleast another 7 to 9 points going off performances and chances in past games so far but goals win games today things will change i got a feeling

We can f*cking win this if BBM sorts the middle out and changes his system but I doubt he will, we shall see although I've gone for a city win with some good football if we can weather the onslaught early on let's be honest we should have atleast another 7 to 9 points going off performances and chances in past games so far but goals win games today things will change i got a feeling

Wish I was as positive as you, personally think it's going to be a long game for us and would be delighted if we somehow got a draw.

We can f*cking win this if BBM sorts the middle out and changes his system but I doubt he will, we shall see although I've gone for a city win with some good football if we can weather the onslaught early on let's be honest we should have atleast another 7 to 9 points going off performances and chances in past games so far but goals win games today things will change i got a feeling

Wish I was as positive as you, personally think it's going to be a long game for us and would be delighted if we somehow got a draw.

I got a feeling Ned BBM will shuffle the system surely he realises it's not working away by now he has to change it if it's not working

No Robinson, Salech or Ng. Bench looks THIN.

Cardiff City XI: Trott; Kpakio, Bielik, Osho, Bagan; Robertson (C), J. Colwill, Asford; Tanner, Moylan, Willock.

Subs: Tyrer, Fish, Turnbull, Scanlon, Tankiewicz, Davies, Moreno, Holt, Perrett

Bluebirds

Middlesbrough to win 4-0

God middlesboro goalie looks a giant.

its so naive, colwill stay closer to Robertson FFS

Middlesbrough to win 4-0

Thanks for the support.

Middlesbrough showing their attacking intent from the start and putting pressure on the Bluebird goal, although we’ve had an opportunity ourselves. We need to settle quickly and allow the game to calm down before we try too much, but knowing BBM, his team will take every opportunity to move forward

And add I write that, a decent ball sees Jack Moylan with a half-chance

LATEST SCORE: MIDDLESBROUGH 0 - 0 CARDIFF CITY (8 mins)

Fair play to Cardiff first 10mins

Free header foe both teams inside box,both should have done bttter.

ALMOST TWO IN TWO FOR NETO!

Brazilian left-back heads narrowly wide from a Cozier-Duberry cross.

64% possession Cardiff

I am only a fan, but you can't play this open away from home in the championship. There is no midfeild. No idea why Joel and Ashford are so far away from Robertson

Giving the ball away too much in midfield & we've been lucky so far, can't last forever.

Boro having their chances, and only a good save from Nathan Trott has kept it level

We’re not without our own efforts though, and we’re more than capable when we attack

LATEST SCORE: MIDDLESBROUGH 0 - 0 CARDIFF CITY (21 mins)

GOAL! BLUEBIRDS!

THAT JACK MOYLAN GUY AGAIN!

LATEST SCORE: MIDDLESBROUGH 0 - 1 CARDIFF CITY (22 mins)
Bluebird scorer: Jack Moylan, 22 mins

Jack Moylan is unreal