Middlesbrough vs Stoke City: Predictions, Betting odds, Lineups, Preview

Explore Ladbrokes' detailed preview for Middlesbrough vs Stoke City in the Championship. Stats, odds, predictions, and lineups for the 19:45 BST match.

• Fixture: Middlesbrough vs Stoke City

• Date: Tuesday, 30 September 2025

• Kick-off: 19:45 BST

• Venue: Riverside Stadium

Match Prediction: Middlesbrough 2-1 Stoke City

Middlesbrough are coming into this match with a solid run of form, winning three out of their last five league games. They've shown they can grind out results, especially at home, with narrow victories against Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion. 

Expect them to dominate the game and look to capitalise on Stoke's recent defensive weaknesses.

Stoke City’s form has been up and down, with two wins and two losses in their last five Championship outings. They've struggled away from home, losing to QPR and West Brom, but did manage a good win at Southampton. They'll need to be more solid at the back if they want to get anything from this game.

Middlesbrough have been in decent form, with three wins and two draws in their last five league games. They've been particularly strong at home, winning their previous two matches at the Riverside Stadium. This should give them confidence going into this game against Stoke.

The only concern for Middlesbrough is the injury to Riley McGree, but the rest of the squad is in decent shape. If they can maintain their recent level of performance, they should be able to secure another win.

• Draw: 1-1 vs Southampton (A)

• Win: 2-1 vs West Bromwich Albion (H)

• Draw: 2-2 vs Preston North End (A)

• Win: 1-0 vs Sheffield United (H)

• Win: 2-1 vs Norwich City (A)

Stoke City have had a mixed bag of results recently, with two wins, two losses, and a draw in their last five games. Their away form has been a particular worry, losing two of their last three on the road.

However, they did manage a good win at Southampton, which shows they can perform away from home when they're on their game. If they can tighten up at the back, they can frustrate Middlesbrough and get a result.

• Draw: 1-1 vs Norwich City (H)

• Loss: 0-1 vs Queens Park Rangers (A)

• Win: 1-0 vs Birmingham City (H)

• Loss: 0-1 vs West Bromwich Albion (H)

• Win: 2-1 vs Southampton (A)

Middlesbrough have had the upper hand in recent meetings with Stoke City, winning three of the last five encounters. They've been particularly strong at home, with a 2-0 victory in their most recent home game against Stoke.

However, Stoke did manage a 2-0 win in their last home game against Middlesbrough, so they'll be looking to repeat that performance.

• Stoke City 1-3 Middlesbrough (25 Feb 2025)

• Middlesbrough 2-0 Stoke City (28 Sep 2024)

• Stoke City 2-0 Middlesbrough (02 Mar 2024)

• Middlesbrough 0-2 Stoke City (28 Oct 2023)

• Middlesbrough 1-1 Stoke City (14 Mar 2023)

• Seny Dieng (Achilles) - Out

• Riley McGree (Hamstring) - Out

• Dael Fry (Calf) - Doubt

• Darragh Lenihan (Muscle) - Doubt

• Lewis Baker (Unknown) - Out

• Sam Gallagher (Muscle) - Doubt

• Predicted lineup: Brynn, Ayling, Edmunson, Jones, Brittain, Hackney, Morris, Targett, Sène, Conway, Strelec

With a strong midfield presence and attacking options like Sène and Conway, Middlesbrough will look to dominate possession and create chances. The absence of McGree might affect their creativity, but the predicted lineup suggests they'll still have enough firepower.

• Predicted lineup: Johansson, Tchamadeu, Lawal, Wilmot, Cresswell, Rigo, Pearson, Manhoef, Bae, Thomas, Mubama

Stoke's predicted lineup indicates they'll rely on the experience of Johansson in goal and the pace of Mubama up front. They'll need to be disciplined defensively to counter Middlesbrough's attacking threat.

• Strelec vs Wilmot: This will be a key battle between Middlesbrough's forward and Stoke's defender.

• Hackney vs Pearson: Expect an intriguing midfield duel between Middlesbrough's Hackney and Stoke's Pearson.

• Hackney (Middlesbrough): Hackney's presence in midfield will be crucial for Middlesbrough's control of the game.

• Manhoef (Stoke City): Manhoef's pace and directness could be Stoke's best chance of causing problems for Middlesbrough's defence.

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