Getty Coventry player Gustavo Hamer in action during the Sky Bet Championship between Middlesbrough and Coventry City at Riverside Stadium on May 08.
Coventry City and Middlesbrough will clash in the first leg of their semifinals matchup on Sunday, May 14 at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
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In the United States, the match (7 a.m. ET start time) won’t be on TV, but anyone in the US can watch Coventry vs Middlesbrough live on ESPN+ right here:
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Coventry vs Middlesbrough Preview
A promotion to the Premier League is on the line for both squads, and considering Coventry has won four of its last five home games against Middlesbrough and has not lost in its last seven matches, it will be the team to beat.
These two teams recently played each other on May 6, and the results were a 1-1 draw, with Cameron Archer scoring in the 45th minute for Middlesbrough and Gustavo Hamer netting Coventry’s lone goal. Expect another close and hard fought match here.
“I’m proud of everyone when you consider the start of the season we had, Middlesbrough were similar, near the bottom of the league, albeit different circumstances,” Coventry head coach Mark Robins said. “It took us a while to get going, but the achievement just to get into the play-offs is phenomenal. The only way to enjoy them is to win them. We have a few days to think about plans, the way we want to go about it. They are not daft here, Michael Carrick is very talented and they have a lot more to come, they are smart. We have to enjoy it, and enjoy the build up.”
“We have really worked hard in terms of preparing the right way, keeping our edge because performances matter, but we knew our fate a couple of weeks ago and where we would be,” Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick said heading into the matchup. “It is different now in the play-offs, naturally there is a different feeling about it. There will be a different kind of atmosphere in the two stadiums, you have to relish it because you are fighting for something that is worth achieving. Coventry are a really good team, well-organised and they play good football. They are a threat going forward.”
Middlesbrough has dropped four matches in a row on the road and will face an uphill battle here. Players to watch for both teams include Middlesbrough’s Chuba Akpom (28 goals) and Coventry’s Viktor Gyökeres (21 goals).
Here’s a look at the likely starting lineups for each team:
Coventry City possible starting lineup: Wilson, McNally, McFadzean, Doyle, Norton-Cuffy, Hamer, Kelly, Eccles, Bidwell, Gyokeres, Godden
Middlesbrough possible starting lineup: Steffen, Smith, McNair, Lenihan, Giles, Hackney, Mowatt, Jones, Akpom, McGree, Archer
Previous Meeting Line-ups:
Coventry City: Ben Wilson, Callum Doyle, Kyle McFadzean, Luke McNally, Liam Kelly, Brooke Norton-Cuffy, Jake Bidwell, Josh Eccles, Gustavo Hamer, Viktor Gyökeres, Matt Godden. Used Subs: Jamie Allen
Middlesbrough: Zack Steffen, Ryan Giles, Tommy Smith, Paddy McNair, Darragh Lenihan, Isaiah Jones, Alex Mowatt, Riley McGree, Chuba Akpom, Hayden Hackney, Cameron Archer. Used Subs: Darnell Fisher, Daniel Barlaser, Sonny Finch.