Neil Warnock will mark his first game in charge of Middlesbrough with a trip to the Bet365 Stadium to face fellow relegation strugglers Stoke.
Following the sacking of Jonathan Woodgate on Tuesday, Warnock, 71, has now been tasked with leading The Boro to safety with just eight games remaining.
Whereas, Stoke City are unbeaten in their last five games and a win against the Teesside club will surely take them one step closer to guaranteed Championship football next season.
When and Where?
The match will be held at the Bet365 stadium on Saturday 27th June at 15:00.
Previous meetings
The good news for Neil Warnock is that Stoke haven’t beaten The Boro since 2017 when both sides were still in the Premier League. Middlesbrough have actually won the last two meetings 2-1 and 1-0 respectively which should give Warnock plenty of optimism.
Last five matches
Stoke
(D) 1-1 vs Reading
(W) 5-1 vs Hull
(D) 1-1 vs Luton
(D) 0-0 vs Blackburn
(W) 2-0 vs Cardiff
With just three defeats in the league since Christmas, it is safe to say that Stoke have had a much-improved second-half to the season and know that safety is well and truly within their grasp. However, they are still just two points above the drop zone
Middlesbrough
(L) 3-0 vs Swansea
(W) 1-0 vs Charlton
(D) 2-2 vs Nottingham
(L) 1-0 vs Leeds
(L) 1-0 vs Barnsley
It is no wonder that Johnathan Woodgate’s 376-day tenure came to an end this week with just two victories in the league since the turn of the year and why now they sit dangerously close to the relegation zone in 21st place.
League Standings
Stoke 18th W12 D7 L19 Points: 43
Middlesbrough 21st W9 D14 L15 Points: 41
Match Preview written by Mat Ogley.