Ladbrokes previews Southampton vs Middlesbrough in the Championship play-off semi-final second-leg on Tuesday, May 12, with the game taking place at 8:00pm.
Southampton are tipped to reach the Championship play-off final after an impressive unbeaten run in the second half of the season.
Morgan Whittaker, Middlesbrough’s danger man in attack, is backed to test the Southampton goalkeeper once again this week.
Ladbrokes brings you an in-depth match preview for Southampton vs Middlesbrough in the Championship play-offs semi-final second-leg, including predictions and bet builder tips.

Southampton head into this second leg full of confidence after extending their unbeaten Championship run to 20 matches with a goalless draw in the first leg last week.
Southampton have been one of the form teams in the division throughout 2026, suffering just three defeats in all competitions since the turn of the year.
Middlesbrough, meanwhile, remain dangerous opponents and know they are just one win away from a trip to Wembley.
With a place in the Championship play-off final on the line, read on for our in-depth Southampton vs Middlesbrough bet builder. You can also check out our Millwall vs Hull bet builder for the other semi-final second-leg.
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Fixture: Southampton vs Middlesbrough
Competition: Championship play-off semi-final second-leg
Date: Tuesday, 12 May, 2026
Kick-off: 20:00 BST
Venue: St Mary's Stadium
Our prediction: Southampton 2-0 Middlesbrough
Our predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Peretz / Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Manning / Downes, Jander / Scienza, Azaz, Fellows / Larin
Our predicted XI (3-4-3): Brynn / Ayling, Fry, Malanda / Targett, McGree, Morris, Brittain / Whittaker, Conway, Strelec
Southampton’s form throughout 2026 suggests they are favourites to book their place at Wembley.
The Saints have lost just three matches in all competitions since the turn of the year, including an FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester City.
Their late-season surge secured a play-off place, and they now head into this second leg unbeaten in 20 consecutive Championship matches since their defeat to Hull back in January.
Southampton’s cohesion and quality across the pitch has made them one of the toughest teams to beat in the division, and our experts are backing them to prove too strong for Middlesbrough over 90 minutes.
The first leg may have ended goalless, but the underlying numbers suggest we should see goals in the second meeting.
Six goals have been scored across the three meetings between Southampton and Middlesbrough this season, averaging exactly two per game.
Recent matches involving both teams have also produced goals consistently, with Middlesbrough’s last five games averaging three goals per match.
The same can be said for Southampton, whose last five matches have also averaged three goals.
With a Wembley final at stake, both sides should open up more as the game progresses, making over 1.5 goals look a strong option.
Flynn Downes has developed a reputation as one of Southampton’s most combative midfielders, and another booking could be on the cards here.
The midfielder has been shown a yellow card in each of his last three matches, including the first leg against Middlesbrough last week.
Downes has collected 13 yellow cards in 37 appearances this season, meaning he receives a booking in 35% of his matches.
He has also committed four fouls across his two meetings with Middlesbrough this campaign.
With tensions expected to be high and every tackle carrying added importance, we’re backing Downes to find his way into the referee’s notebook once again.
Morgan Whittaker remains Middlesbrough’s biggest attacking threat and should be heavily involved once again at St Mary’s.
The former Plymouth attacker has enjoyed an excellent campaign, scoring 14 goals and registering seven assists from 36 Championship starts.
Whittaker is never shy about shooting either, averaging five shots every two Championship games, alongside 0.8 shots on target per match.
One of his three efforts in the first leg tested the goalkeeper, and with this second leg expected to be more open, we’re backing him to hit the target again.
He also scored twice when these sides met back in January, highlighting his ability to deliver in this fixture.
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All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.