There was a time not too long ago when it seemed nearly impossible for this game to become a championship playoff semifinal.
Middlesbrough have spent more days in the top two this season than any other club, while Southampton have been struggling in the bottom half since midway through the season.
Boro beat Saints 4-0 in January, but it felt like both teams were going in different directions. Tonda Eckert’s men probably feel that things will be settled after that.
But here it was 5th to 4th at the Riverside, with Saints somehow marching ahead of Boro and going into this tie as close favorites to win.
If you add the spice of “SpyGate 2” to this, you should be able to get a considerable effect.
How ‘Spygate 2’ took over the build-up
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What advantage can Southampton gain from the Middlesbrough spying allegations?
Is 2019 starting again? Seven years on from the first ‘Spygate’ incident, in which Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa admitted sending staff to spy on Derby County and the club was fined £200,000 following an investigation, it has happened again in the Championship.
Middlesbrough have lodged a formal complaint with the EFL, accusing a man believed to be a Southampton staff member of spying on Thursday’s training session.
It is said that he then attempted to change his appearance before leaving Rockcliffe for good.
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Sky Sports reporter Keith Downey confirmed on Friday that he was aware of Middlesbrough staff examining CCTV footage after Southampton staff were suspected of spying on training.
Late on Friday, the EFL accused Southampton of breaching EFL rules which strictly prohibit opponents from spying on training sessions within 72 hours before kick-off. This rule was introduced following an incident in 2019.
The Saints and others acknowledged the charges and said they would fully cooperate with the investigation.
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“Neither team is capable of playing safe football.”
Don Goodman on EFL podcast Sky Sports Essential:
With about 17 games left, Southampton were probably the best team in the league.
But if you go back to about 10 games before that, I would have argued it was Middlesbrough at that point. They won six straight games playing the best football I’ve seen in the championship.
If both of them reach their level, we don’t know who will win.
Middlesbrough and Southampton have a lot in common, but the biggest one is that I’ve never seen either of them play a boring, boring game. I don’t think they can play safe soccer.
They have a very unique way of winning games and I don’t think either coach will change that. I can’t imagine Southampton going to the riverside and setting up in a low block, so I think we can have two really good games.
Andy Hinchcliffe on EFL podcast Sky Sports Essential:
Hopefully it’s the free-flowing offensive game these teams can produce. Both teams have a lot of good goal scorers and a lot of attacking talent. That’s what makes it exciting.
Southampton are a team in good form in the Championship. If you look at the past six games, they’re the best team right now. The question is whether it can be recreated with two legs.
Middlesbrough have the quality and experience to reset after missing out on the top two. This can be a very attractive game and it is very difficult to decide which one to choose.
Middlesbrough created chances but were unable to convert them, which led to their defeat. Now they are starting to take that chance and that will worry Southampton.
If Southampton play open and attacking, it could play into Middlesbrough’s hands. That’s what makes calling so tight.
Saturday, May 9th 11:30am
12:30pm kickoff
To boo or not to boo? The Azaz factor…
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Sky Sports Essential EFL Podcast takes a look at the Championship play-off semi-finals
Then there’s Finn Azaz, who joined Southampton from Middlesbrough earlier this season.
Like the rest of the Saints, he got off to a slow start, but he emerged as one of the key players on offense. His reception in Riverside will likely be lukewarm at best, just as it was in January.
“Finn Azaz is probably the player that’s getting the most attention,” Andy Hinchcliffe said on the Sky Sports Essential podcast. “He hasn’t achieved as much as he could have this season, but he has the quality to change the game. The important thing is whether he can handle the situation and I expect him to do that.”
Don Goodman added: “If I could give any advice to Middlesbrough fans it would be to not boo them. Getting booed can motivate you, it motivates you as a player and it can be an inspiration to players like Azaz. He’s one of the many players who has the ability to decide games.”
Important Battle: Cienza vs Britain
Sky Sports EFL Editor Simeon Gollum:
Southampton have attacking depth, but there is little doubt that their superstar is Leo Cienza.
The Brazilian winger was outstanding despite his early season struggles. He has the ability to decide so many matches by himself.
He has the third most assists (10), created the most big chances (21) and has the third most successful dribbles in the Championship this season.
Looking to stop him will be Callum Brittain, the Middlesbrough right wing-back who has had an exceptional career.
He has made the most dribbles (53) of any defender in the Championship this season and has also made the fifth most crosses from open play (178) in the Championship. Both players will try to force the other into the flanks, which should make for an interesting matchup.
Helberg: “The draw won’t be decided on Saturday”
Middlesbrough head coach Kim Helberg will reiterate to his players that this semi-final will not be played in the first leg and will not be thrown into the dust.
“We have to do things a little differently,” he said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
“The best way to say it is that it’s the first half of the game. It’s a simple way to say it, but it also means something.
“If you’re one win or one behind with 10 minutes left, that’s not like the last 10 minutes of a normal game where you throw everything in different directions depending on the score.
“That’s something we have to be careful about. We have another 90 minutes to play and probably extra time on Tuesday, so it’s not a game that will be decided on Saturday.
“And it’s different to play the same team on Saturday and the same team on Tuesday. The only time you get to be in those types of games where you play the same team right after the first game is in the playoffs.”
Eckert: “We won’t play if it’s a draw”
Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert knows her side must stem Middlesbrough’s tide at the riverside if they are to get anything from the first leg.
Eckert, who watched his team suffer a 4-0 loss to Teeside in January, does not intend to underestimate the challenge posed by coach Kim Helberg’s side.
“They were very clear in the way they approached the game. It’s very clear where their strengths are,” he said.
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Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert says his team is “completely different” to the one that lost 4-0 to Middlesbrough at Riverside Stadium four months ago.
“If they have a good day and start getting their flow back, they are a good team in certain aspects of the game.
“(But) we’ve had a good few weeks and months. In the end, it’s about whether we can play to our strengths on the pitch, like we’ve been doing for the last few weeks.”
With the second leg at St Mary’s on Tuesday night, you could be forgiven for thinking a draw and heading south would be a good result for the Saints.
But Eckert insists that’s not the team’s mindset.
“No, that’s not how we approach the game,” he said. “Our approach has never been to draw at any point in the season. We are going to go for the win.
“We’ll do everything we can to win and then we’ll see where we stand.”
championship playoff schedule
Play-off semi-final first leg
Hull 0-0 Millwall – Friday 8th May Middlesbrough vs Southampton – Saturday 9th May 12.30pm kick-off
Play-off semi-final second leg
Millwall (0) v (0) Hull – Monday 11th May, 8pm Southampton v Middlesbrough – Tuesday 12th May, 8pm
playoff final
Saturday 23rd May, Wembley Stadium
