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Stoke City will host Middlesbrough at the bet365 Stadium on Wednesday night in another round of the new English Championship season.
The Potters have endured a difficult start to their season. They were knocked out in the first round of the EFL Cup by 10-man Morecambe after losing on penalties before suffering a 3-1 defeat to Huddersfield Town last time out.
Stoke City have picked up just three points so far this season and sit 16th in the Championship standings. They will be looking to bounce back from their latest results this week and get their campaign back on track.
Middlesbrough have not fared much better than their midweek hosts this season. They were also knocked out in the first round of the domestic cup after losing 1-0 to Barnsley before playing out a 2-2 draw against Sheffield United in their last league outing.
The visitors currently sit 19th in the league table with just two points and will be looking to pick up their first win of the season this Wednesday.
Stoke City vs Middlesbrough Head-to-Head
There have been 102 meetings between Stoke City and Middlesbrough. The visitors hold the better record with 43 wins while the hosts have won 36 times. There have been 23 draws between the two sides.
The two sides last faced off in a league clash last season, with Boro winning 3-1.
Stoke City Form Guide (All Competitions): L-L-W-L-L
Middlesbrough Form Guide (All Competitions): D-L-L-D-W
Stoke City vs Middlesbrough Team News
Stoke City
Harry Clarke has picked up a shin injury and will be out for the next couple of weeks. Harry Souttar and Nick Powell are both injured as well, while Liam McCarron is a doubt for this one.
Injured: Harry Souttar, Nick Powell, Harry Clarke
Doubtful: Liam McCarron
Suspended: None
Middlesbrough
Chuba Akpom came off injured against Sheffield United and is a doubt for the midweek clash. Matt Crooks could also sit this one out after missing the visitors' last game due to an illness.
Injured: None
Doubtful: Chuba Akpom, Matt Crooks
Suspended: None
Stoke City vs Middlesbrough Predicted XI
Stoke City Predicted XI (3-5-2): Josef Bursik; Connor Taylor, Aden Flint, Ben Wilmot; Tom Sparrow, Josh Laurent, Will Smallbone, Lewis Baker, Josh Tymon; Dwight Gayle, Jacob Brown
Middlesbrough Predicted XI (3-5-2): Zack Steffen; Darragh Lenihan, Dael Fry, Anfernee Dijksteel; Ryan Giles, Riley McGree, Jonny Howson, Paddy McNair, Isaiah Jones; Duncan Watmore, Marcus Forss
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Stoke City vs Middlesbrough Prediction
Stoke City are on a run of back-to-back defeats and have lost six of their last seven games across all competitions.
Middlesbrough are winless in all four of their games this season. They struggled for results on the road last season and may have to settle for a point here.
Prediction: Stoke 1-1 Middlesbrough
