A Mid-week game for the first time this season on Tuesday evening awaits as West Brom take on Middlesbrough under the lights at The Hawthorns.
Baggies the Championship leaders have picked up 16 points from seven league games and lost 3-2 last time against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday afternoon. Middlesbrough are in 8th place and 5 points behind us in the table who beat Stoke City 2-0 at the weekend.
Saturday at Hillsborough was uneventful when a Baggies supporter passed away during the game against Sheffield Wednesday. A tribute would be paid during the Championship game against Middlesbrough on Tuesday evening and the club are offering fans to clap in the 57th minute.
Player To Watch – Middlesbrough
Hayden Hackney Middlesbrough’s academy player who is key in midfield for them would be my player to watch in this encounter against the Baggies. He got the man of the match reward last time out against Stoke City on Saturday and did score in the Riverside stadium, I reckon he would pick up his recent performance and bring this at The Hawthorns on Tuesday evening.
Still only 22, he has had Premier League interest with the likes of West Ham and Tottenham being linked to the Middlesbrough midfielder. I say he is one of the best Championship midfielders in the league and did partner with Alex Mowatt whilst he was on loan a couple of seasons ago and did score the only goal in Middlesbrough’s Carabao Cup Semi Final last season in the first leg against Chelsea.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Hackney gets on the scoresheet at The Hawthorns on Tuesday evening in our first midweek game of the season.
Player To Watch – West Brom
Alex Mowatt for this game is going to be my player to watch, he has put in some expectational performances so far this season and has scored three times this season with a brace against Portsmouth a fortnight ago and a quality goal to give us the equaliser over Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday but the comeback didn’t last long.
I say Mowatt would put in a performance in this game as his ex-club Middlesbrough come to The Hawthorns and must be thinking he would like to put in another expectational performance as he be facing his former side this coming week.
Would Alex Mowatt be at his best for this mid-week clash and get us back to winning ways?
My Line Up V Middlesbrough
Here is my line up I am going for, I would replace Darnell Furlong for Mason Holgate after his awful performance at Sheffield Wednesday over the weekend. I would bring back Alex Mowatt to the starting line-up and would play alongside Racic where Molumby is a doubt for the game.
Mikey Johnston should start and be replaced by Karlan Grant and play him with John Swift and Tom Fellows just behind top goalscorer Josh Maja.
My Prediction V Middlesbrough
Time to make a prediction for the 8th game of the season, I was so close to put us down to lose our game against Sheffield Wednesday last time out and I am yet to not predict us to lose where I have predicted to win our last 6 league games and draw our first league game against QPR. My predictions I made would make us top of the league but leading by 3 more points on 19 points.
With these predictions I have expected us to be better than what we are right now at the start of the season I wouldn’t think we be top of the league after 7 games after our pre-season games I seen at Cambridge and Birmingham the following day.
Now I be making my prediction for the Tuesday night fixture, first 25 minutes it be goalless and I say Middlesbrough would score first where ex-Baggies academy player Finn Azaz would get the opener on the night to give us our first goal conceded at home this season.
We would fight back to try and get the scores back level but at half-time it be 1-0 to Middlesbrough. In the Second half the Baggies would get one back with Tom Fellows getting his first goal of the season to give us the equalizer, then throughout the game it be quiet with both teams failing to get the winner as I am tipping this would be a draw as Middlesbrough are a very good side and I expect them to be one of our promotion rivals this season and I would take a draw come end of Tuesday evening.
Prediction: West Brom 1-1 Middlesbrough
Goalscorers for West Brom: Tom Fellows
Goalscorers for Middlesbrough: Finn Azaz
A draw I am going for come Tuesday evening, lets hope it is a good point we gain against one of our promotion rivals, it be nice to win but for the first time since QPR I am tipping the Baggies to draw. Lets see what happens on Tuesday evening and see what the result is.