Two teams with contrasting starts to the 2025-26 Championship season will face off in matchday 11's final fixture as Sheffield Wednesday welcome Middlesbrough to Hillsborough Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The home side currently find themselves at the bottom of the standings, having won just one game this term, while the visitors are second, one point shy of the top.
Contents
- 1 Sheffield Wednesday vs Middlesbrough prediction: Boro to heap more misery on struggling hosts
- 2 Most recent H2Hs: Back-to-back wins on the cards for hosts for the first time in 11 years
- 3 Sheffield Wednesday preview: Ethan Horvath's suspension opens the door for rare Logan Stretch outing
- 4 Middlesbrough preview: Darragh Lenihan way off returning from damaged Achilles
- 5 Player to watch – Morgan Whittaker
Sheffield Wednesday vs Middlesbrough prediction: Boro to heap more misery on struggling hosts
Key stats
- Sheffield Wednesday are without a win in their last four matches, while also failing to keep a clean sheet.
- To make matters worse, Wednesday's hosts have conceded the opening goal in six of their last eight outings, during which they have managed just one victory.
- Middlesbrough are unbeaten in nine of their 10 league outings this term.
Correct score prediction: Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 Middlesbrough
Sheffield Wednesday's 22 goals conceded are the most of any Championship side so far, and that level of defensive porosity is unlikely to yield any positive result.
Middlesbrough will sense a great opportunity to keep the pressure up on leaders Coventry by securing a win, which we fully expect the away side to pick up.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Huge upset needed by Sheffield Wednesday
- HOME: 18/5 (4.60) – 21.7%
- DRAW: 27/10 (3.70) – 27%
- AWAY: 8/11 (1.73) – 57.9%
*Odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
One of three sides without a home win in the division this season, Sheffield Wednesday's 21.7% win probability here indicates how unlikely they are to end their wait for a triumph in front of their fans.
Henrik Pedersen's men were comprehensively thrashed 5-0 in their most recent home outing against Coventry, after which they lost 2-1 to Charlton last time out.
While Middlesbrough are winless in three straight away matches leading up to Wednesday's game, the visitors have been heavily fancied to emerge victorious with a 57.9% chance.
Rob Edwards's men claimed a 2-1 win against Ipswich Town over the weekend thanks to Cedric Kipre's own goal and Morgan Whittaker's strike, although things could have easily panned out differently had George Hirst converted his penalty on the stroke of half time.
For more from the upcoming matches, today’s free football betting tips look at some of the best picks.
Most recent H2Hs: Back-to-back wins on the cards for hosts for the first time in 11 years
After coming back from three goals down to claim a 3-3 draw in the first meeting between the teams last season, Sheffield showed great powers of recovery once again in April's second encounter, where they secured a comeback 2-1 triumph.
The Owls had gone winless across the previous four clashes, but now have the opportunity to beat Middlesbrough in consecutive matches, something which has not been done since 2014.
England Championship 21/04/25
Sheff Wed
Middlesbrough
England Championship 26/12/24
Middlesbrough
Sheff Wed
England Championship 01/04/24
Middlesbrough
Sheff Wed
England Championship 19/09/23
Sheff Wed
Middlesbrough
England Championship 24/04/21
Middlesbrough
Sheff Wed
Sheffield Wednesday preview: Ethan Horvath's suspension opens the door for rare Logan Stretch outing
Following Horvath's red card in the final knockings of the defeat to Charlton, Sheffield now have two keepers unavailable for their upcoming assignment, with Pierce Charles currently nursing a hamstring issue. This should see 18-year-old Logan Stretch make his debut for the hosts.
Meanwhile, Di'Shon Bernard, Nathaniel Chalobah, Guilherme Siqueira, Olaf Kobacki, Rio Shipston and Ernie Weaver are also guaranteed absentees here.
Predicted lineup: Stretch(GK), Palmer, Fusire, Lowe, Otegbayo, Amass, Bannan, Ingelsson, Valery, Lowe & Cadamarteri
Sheffield Wednesday's last five matches:
- Charlton 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday (Championship)
- Sheffield Wednesday 0-5 Coventry (Championship)
- Birmingham 2-2 Sheffield Wednesday (Championship)
- Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 QPR (Championship)
- Portsmouth 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday (Championship)
Middlesbrough preview: Darragh Lenihan way off returning from damaged Achilles
Irishman Lenihan has not featured for Middlesbrough since mid-September after picking up an Achilles tendon injury.
The 31-year-old is one of two injury concerns for the visitors alongside fellow defender George Edmundson.
Predicted lineup: Brynn(GK), Jones, Fry, Ayling, Targett, Hackney, Morris, Brittain, Conway, Sene & Strelec
Middlesbrough's last five matches:
- Middlesbrough 2-1 Ipswich (Championship)
- Portsmouth 1-0 Middlesbrough (Championship)
- Middlesbrough 0-0 Stoke (Championship)
- Southampton 1-1 Middlesbrough (Championship)
- Middlesbrough 2-1 West Brom (Championship)
Player to watch – Morgan Whittaker
While his clincher against Ipswich was only a first goal of the season, Whittaker has been one of his side's better performers.
His three direct goal contributions are the joint-most of any Middlesbrough player this term, level with Tommy Conway and Hayden Hackney.
The forward endured a torrid debut campaign in North Yorkshire but now seems to be finding his feet gradually.