Coventry City is in 2nd place Championship table and Middlesbrough in top spot after Kim Hellberg’s side beat Sheffield United 2-1 in their last outing.
That win saw Boro overtake Coventry City at the top of the table, while Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues have been in mixed form of late.
Last time out, Coventry City drew 0-0 at home to 10-man Oxford United and are now winless in their last three Championship games, while Middlesbrough are in good form.
Boro have won their last six games and kept a clean sheet in three of them. The last time these two teams met was in November at Riverside, where Coventry City won 4-2 thanks to late goals from Liam Kitching and Ellis Simms.
Here, the writers at The72 give their predictions for the championship clash between Coventry City and Middlesbrough…
Luke Phelps
Championship news
“Middlesbrough are certainly the form team going into this. But given how good Coventry City have been all season and how this is such a crucial game at the top of the table, form may not be the most decisive factor in this.
“Lampard is experienced enough to know what to demand from his players on Monday night, while Hellberg is still new to the Championship, although he has impressed in these early stages of his Middlesbrough tenure.
“Coventry City have the best home form in the league with 36 points from 15 games. But Middlesbrough have the best away record in the league with 28 points from 16. Given how tight this is on paper, I’ll go for a draw.”
Prediction: Coventry City 1-1 Middlesbrough
James Ray
“This is an absolutely massive game. 2nd hosts 1st and it could be decisive towards this year’s title challenge.
“Coventry City have been on a very worrying trajectory in recent months. It feels like they have been discovered a bit, with goals coming slower and teams finding a way to grind them down.
“The Sky Blues have maintained a good home record despite this dip, but Middlesbrough will really test that. Managers just can’t seem to find a way to restrict Kim Hellberg’s free-flowing football. Boro players have fully invested in their new boss and it shows in this brilliant form.”
“With all that in mind, I’m leaning towards a huge win for Middlesbrough here.”
Prediction: Coventry City 1-2 Middlesbrough
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