MIDDLESBROUGHVSOUTHAMPTON

Match insight

Middlesbrough and Southampton both arrive on genuine hot streaks, each picking up strong form over their last five. Middlesbrough currently sit 5 places and 5 points above Southampton in the table — 2nd against 7th and inside the automatic promotion places. Middlesbrough have taken 11 points from their last 5, against 12 for Southampton over the same stretch. Worth flagging: Southampton sit well below what our metrics imply, roughly 6 places under their underlying-strength rank.