Good evening! Thank you very much for joining
Sports Mole for tonight's Championship playoff semi-final second leg between
Aston Villa and Middlesbrough!
A showdown with Fulham awaits one of these teams in the richest match in football at Wembley on May 26, and it is Villa who hold the advantage following their 1-0 away victory in Saturday's first leg. Boro are by no means out of the tie, though, and it remains fascinatingly poised heading into tonight's match.
Let's start with a look at the team news...
ASTON VILLA STARTING XI: Johnstone; Bree, Chester, Terry, Hutton; Snodgrass, Jedinak, Hourihane, Grealish, Adomah; Grabban
ASTON VILLA SUBS: Bunn, Samba, Whelan, Bjarnason, Onomah, Hogan, Kodjia
MIDDLESBROUGH STARTING XI: Randolph; Shotton, Fry, Gibson, Friend; Clayton, Besic, Howson; Traore, Assombalonga, Downing
MIDDLESBROUGH SUBS: Dimi, Fabio, Cranie, Leadbitter, Harrison, Bamford, Gestede
What can we make of those two teams, then?
Well, the hosts make just the one change to the starting lineup from their victorious first leg, and it is an enforced one as Ahmed Elmohamady has failed to recover in time from the muscular problem he sustained on Saturday.
Elmohamady's absence sees James Bree come in at right-back in the only switch from manager Steve Bruce as he otherwise keeps faith with the team that picked up that 1-0 win three days ago.
That means that Lewis Grabban leads the line for Aston Villa once again, with the striker having just missed out on the Golden Boot from the regular season, finishing on 21 goals - just one behind Diogo Jota of Wolves.
Nine of those goals have come for Villa since his January switch to the club, while the other 12 came in a Sunderland shirt during the first half of the season - not a bad return for a team who were struggling at the bottom of the table for so long.
Grabban has plenty of ammo supplied to him in this Villa team, particularly from Robert Snodgrass, whose tally of 14 assists this season is the joint-highest in the Championship.
Jack Grealish has also been something of a creative force for the Villans, with his assist in the first leg being his sixth since returning to the team in November. Only Snodgrass - with 12 - has supplied more in that time.
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This match will also see Albert Adomah face his former club, and he has an impressive record against Middlesbrough in the past with four goals from his last five league and playoff appearances - scoring twice and assisting two more.
Elsewhere, Villa will hope that Jedinak - goalscorer in the first leg - and threaten the opposition goal again, while even in defence they have dangermen, most notably the vastly-experienced John Terry.
Middlesbrough don't quite have the same firepower as their hosts tonight, but Britt Assombalonga can be a real handful on his day and the striker is likely to be central to any Boro comeback tonight.
Assombalonga is Boro's top scorer this season with 15, which is more than any player has scored for Villa alone this term, although he does still trail Grabban in the overall goalscoring charts for 2017-18.
Another player who could be a match-winner for Middlesbrough tonight is Adama Traore, who will come up against his former club this evening and will be desperate to make an impact on his old stomping ground.
Traore has lightning pace and can look unstoppable at times, but those performances don't arrive as frequently as they should do considering the talent he has. Even so, if he is in the mood tonight then that could be the difference between these two sides.
Like Villa, Boro have only made one change to their side this evening, and once again it is an enforced one with Daniel Ayala failed to recover from a knee injury in time for tonight's match.
The Spaniard did not pass a late fitness test on Monday, having been taken off shortly after the hour mark of the first leg, although there is better news on the injury front with Rudy Gestede, who is deemed fit enough to return to the bench this evening.
Bamford and Gestede will provide plenty of height and aerial threat from the bench if needed tonight, but the fact that
Tony Pulis only made one change to his team from the first leg suggests that he was content enough with their performance, despite it being a little flat.
Veteran Stewart Downing is one of those to keep his place in the side, and the former Liverpool and Aston Villa winger will be desperate for one more taste of the Premier League I am sure.
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When it comes to the conversation of big clubs who 'deserve' to be in the top flight, Aston Villa are right at the top of the list, despite their eventual relegation into the Championship two years ago having an air of inevitability to it.
Villa had previously spent 24 successive years in the top flight before their 2015-16 demotion, but they have now been in the Championship for the past two seasons - a stay they will not want to grow any longer.
As is often the case with relegated teams, it took Villa a short while to become accustomed to the second tier once again, finishing 13th in their first season back in the Championship.
However, this time around they finished fourth - a full 21 points better off than in 2016-17 - to end the season seven points behind second-placed Cardiff City and seven above tonight's opponents.
Villa's season did not get off to the best of starts, though, with only one win in their opening seven games leaving them playing catch-up from early on in the playoff race.
Things have been a lot better for Steve Bruce's side since then, though, and in the end they were 10 points clear of Preston North End in seventh, so they made the playoffs comfortably. Villa come into tonight's match having lost only two of their last nine Championship outings, with five wins in that time too.
Villa ended the regular season with a draw against Derby and defeat to Millwall, but Jedinak's goal in the first leg saw them return to winning ways in timely fashion, putting them on the verge of a trip to Wembley.
That first leg also saw Villa keep their sixth clean sheet from their last nine games, winning five of those hames. Indeed, only Wolves kept more clean sheets throughout the entire course of the season, while Wolves and Cardiff were the only teams to concede fewer goals than Villa.
Steve Bruce's side are unbeaten in their last four home games coming into this match, keeping three clean sheets and conceding just one goal in that time - including victories over Cardiff, Leeds and Reading.
Indeed, Villa have only lost one of their last 15 Championship outings here at Villa Park, winning 10 and drawing four in a run which stretches back to November 4. A draw with Derby in their last outing means that another stalemate or defeat tonight would see them go two successive games without a win here for the first time this calendar year, though.
Villa have only lost two home league games all season - a joint league-low - while only the top two of Wolves and Cardiff picked up more points in front of their own fans than Steve Bruce's charges.
Villa picked up 49 of their 83 points here at Villa Park, and they also scored 42 goals in the process which, again, is a record only the runaway champions Wolverhampton Wanderers could better.
History also appears to be on Villa's side tonight, with none of the previous 15 teams to win the first leg of a playoff semi-final away from home failing to go on and reach the final, although only six of those teams went all the way to win promotion.
Steve Bruce also has a good record in the playoffs, losing just one of his last seven post-season matches as a manager with four wins and two draws.
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A draw would suit Aston Villa just fine tonight, though, which means the onus is very much on Middlesbrough to attack their hosts - certainly more so than they did in the first leg at the Riverside.
Attacking is not necessarily their strong point, though, particularly under the notoriously miserly manager Tony Pulis. Boro are the lowest scorers in the top six of the Championship this season, which is a trait they will need to change if they are to reach the Premier League, and certainly if they are to hold their own in the top flight.
Boro are bidding to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking following their relegation last year, although the majority of their more recent history has been spent here in the Championship.
Indeed, Middlesbrough have spent eight of the last nine years in the second tier, but they will likely feel as prepared as ever to stay up with Pulis in charge. They still have to get there, of course, put they don't come more experienced than Pulis when trying to close out a game.
Boro finished the regular season with a four-match unbeaten streak and, over the final six games of the campaign, no team picked up more than them in the Championship, so it was their end-of-season form which really sealed their playoff place.
Victories over fellow playing hopefuls Bristol City, Millwall and Derby helped to see Pulis's side over the line, although they come into this match having kept only two clean sheets in their last 11 Championship games.
Middlesbrough have only lost back-to-back matches on one occasion this season - at the beginning of December - but that is something they risk suffering tonight following their defeat in the first leg.
Boro's away form will surely make Villa even bigger favourites too, with Tony Pulis's side have only won two of their last nine Championship away games. They have also only lost one of their last seven in that time too, but four of those have ended as drawers and Boro need more than that tonight.
Incidentally, Pulis's side would have missed out on the playoff this season if only away form counted, finishing seventh in the table, and it is inconsistency which has caused them the major problem.
Boro won eight, drew seven and lost eight of their away games this season, although they have not been found lacking in the goals department with their tally of 34 being the third-highest in the league and one more goal than they managed at home.
Boro will have to make a small slice of playoff history tonight if they are to make it through to the final, but they do have previous experience of pulling off an unlikely comeback.
Back in the 1987-88 season Boro's side lost their first leg in the playoff semi-final against Bradford but still managed to make it through to the final, earning promotion and relegating Chelsea in the process.
One of the main concerns for Pulis heading into this match will be his side's record against the teams around them in the table, which is comfortably the worst in the top six.
Boro have picked up only five points from their 10 games against the rest of the teams in the top six, while Villa have taken 14 from their 10 outings and still only sit in mid-table of that league.
PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at Villa Park, which means that it is time for a prediction!
Villa are in the driving seat of this tie as it stands courtesy of that first-leg lead and their home advantage in the second leg. Middlesbrough will certainly not make things easy for their hosts, but they were poor on Saturday and Villa should have enough to run out winners.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: Aston Villa 2-1 Middlesbrough
These two sides have already met on four separate occasions this season - twice in the league, once in the EFL Cup and once in the first leg of this time.
Boro have won at this ground too this term, with Patrick Bamford's second-half brace firing them into the fourth round of the EFL Cup in November. The Championship clash here, meanwhile, ended in a goalless draw.
Interestingly, the home team has failed to win any of the last 12 clashes between these two sides, with the last home victory in this fixture coming way back in March 2005 when Aston Villa won 2-0.
Villa have, however, won the last two meetings between the sides - both by a 1-0 scoreline at the Riverside - and another win tonight would make it three on the bounce for the first time since 1996.
It's almost time for kickoff at Villa Park, but before we get started there is just time for me to push you in the direction of out Sports Mole Reader Awards.
You can have your say on everything from Championship Player of the Season to Premier League Goal of the Season by clicking here.
A quick reminder of the team news before we get underway at Villa Park...
ASTON VILLA STARTING XI: Johnstone; Bree, Chester, Terry, Hutton; Snodgrass, Jedinak, Hourihane, Grealish, Adomah; Grabban
MIDDLESBROUGH STARTING XI: Randolph; Shotton, Fry, Gibson, Friend; Clayton, Besic, Howson; Traore, Assombalonga, Downing
There will be a one-minute applause before kickoff in memory of former Aston Villa player Jlloyd Samuel, who tragically lost his life at the age of just 37 earlier today following a car crash.
KICKOFF: After a fabulous tribute to Jlloyd Samuel, Aston Villa get us underway at Villa Park!
George Friend gets forward into a promising position just outside the area, but he never looks comfortable and Snodgrass does well to steal possession before winning a free kick.
Snodgrass has stayed down after that foul, though, and he needs a bit of treatment here. It looked like someone stood on his foot, although it was fairly innocuous and it would be a surprise if he has to go off here.
Good football from Villa as they make their first real break forward, with Adomah back-heeling the ball into the path of Grabban. Grabban goes for goal from a difficult angle, but his effort is blocked.
The resulting corner eventually finds its way to Bree, who lashes a thunderous strike well off target. He caught it well enough, it was just in the wrong direction!
Villa are seeing the majority of the ball right now as they look to settle into the game. It will be interesting to see whether they are more inclined to go for another goal here or play more cautiously to defend their lead.
Nervous moment for Randolph here as he takes a bit of time coming to clear and back-pass, allowing Hourihane to close it down. The rebound bounces safely, but it could have gone anywhere.
Villa have been full of energy and are playing some positive stuff at the moment. Middlesbrough are the team who really need to be the more urgent tonight, but it has not started that way.
YELLOW CARD! Friend picks up an early yellow card for a lunge on Johnstone. Friend had initially done really well to reach the byline before bursting inside, but there was no-one in the middle and his final touch was too heavy. Johnstone collected the ball, but was then on the end of a crunching challenge from the Boro defender.
Good football from Villa again as Grealish plays the ball through for Adomah, who suddenly has green grass to run into. The winger looks to pick out Grabban in the middle, but his cross takes a deflection on its way into the arms of Randolph.
Middlesbrough win their first corner of the night and Downing's delivery is met by Howson, but he can only knock it back down into the middle where a Villa defender is waiting to clear the danger.
SAVE! Again Grealish pokes the ball through to Adomah, who this time cuts inside onto his right foot. The winger is looking for a shot himself, but it never opens up and in the end he just nudges the ball to Hourihane, whose tame effort is easy for the keeper.
Middlesbrough win a long throw, and the length of time they take over it is almost as though they are the team with the lead. Shotton's eventual delivery almost creates a chance, but the whistle has already gone for a foul on Hutton.
Middlesbrough have begun to grow into this game now, but neither keeper is yet to be seriously troubled. Traore uses his pace for the first time tonight to burst past Hutton, but his cross to the back post is too long.
We're midway through the first half now and it has been a hard-fought but scrappy affair for the most part so far. Villa still lead 1-0 on aggregate, and sooner or later Boro will need to throw caution to the wind.
Terry is in a bit of pain here following an awkward landing after clashing with Traore. The veteran defender battles on until the stoppage and then refuses treatment when the chance arises.
Jedinak has put in a towering performance in this opening half an hour or so, winning tackle after tackle and header after header. No quarter given nor asked by the midfielder.
Traore's final ball is just so inconsistent. One in 10 might go where he wants it, but with the pace he has he needs to work more on the delivery as he could be such a dangerous player.
Middlesbrough have seen a decent amount of the ball in the opening half an hour here, but Johnstone still has not had a save to make. The visitors need to be more clinical in the final third.
CHANCE! Brilliant defending from Friend as he makes a perfectly-timed last-ditch challenge to deny what looked like a certain goal for Hourihane as he arrived to meet a low pass into the box!
YELLOW CARD! Moments later Snodgrass goes into the book for a mistimed challenge on Clayton.
Hourihane stayed down after that Friend challenge, but he too will be fine to continue. This has been blood and thunder stuff at times tonight.
Commanding goalkeeper from Johnstone as he collects Downing's cross after a short free kick. The Boro defenders won't be happy with that as they had come all the way up for the ball into the box.
CHANCE! Decent chance for the hosts at the other end as Middlesbrough fail to clear their lines from a corner. Grabban nods a smart header into the path of Chester, who takes a touch but then drags his effort wide of the target.
Just five minutes left in this first half now, and Boro need to find a way to get Assombalonga involved in the game more. He has touched the ball just six times in the opening 40 minutes of this match.
There is that cracking last-ditch challenge from Friend which denied Hourihane what looked like being a certain goal...
That is much more like it from Assombalonga as he picks the ball up just inside the Villa half before bursting forward on the break and taking on three Villa defenders. Eventually the ball escapes him and a fine last-ditch challenge stops him in his tracks, but that was much more positive from the striker.
There have been some cracking tackles in this match, really whole-hearted stuff with eyes only for the ball. Referee Mike Dean deserves credit for letting the game flow too.
YELLOW CARD! Hutton picks up a booking for tugging back Traore after being beaten for pace again.
There will be three added minutes at the end of this first half.
HALF TIME: Aston Villa 0-0 Middlesbrough (Villa lead 1-0 on aggregate)
The first half comes to an end at Villa Park, and it is a fiercely-contested match so far between Aston Villa and Middlesbrough.
It remains goalless, though, which means that Villa are still ahead on aggregate. The better chances have fallen the way of Villa, but it is hard to say that either team has been on top in a match which has been whole hearted from both teams.
It took a stunning last-ditch challenge from George Friend to deny Conor Hourihane what looked like a certain goal when he met a low pass into the box, with the Middlesbrough defender timing his challenge to perfection in the box.
James Chester has also had a decent sight of goal in the area after being found by Grabban's knockdown, but after a good first touch the Villa defender dragged his effort wide of the target.
At the other end, Villa keeper
Sam Johnstone is yet to make a meaningful save despite Middlesbrough seeing a decent amount of the ball in this match.
Pulis knows that his side only need one goal to force extra time tonight, but sooner or later he will need to throw caution to the wind and go for that goal as his side haven't shown many signs of getting it so far.
Right, the second half is about to get underway, but I just have time to give you another nudge in the direction of our annual Sports Mole Reader Awards. You can have your say on the 2017-18 campaign by
clicking here.
KICKOFF: Middlesbrough get us back underway for the second half at Villa Park!
Middlesbrough win a corner early in the second half which comes to nothing, although it might take a set piece to unlock either defence here given the lack of chances created from open play in the first half.
Adomah has looked bright at times for Villa tonight, but he strays offside here when he really should have been able to stay on. The final ball has been sorely lacking tonight.
The battle between Adama Traore and Hutton could be key in this second half. Hutton won it convincingly in the first leg, but he is on a yellow card now and has been beaten for pace on a couple of occasions already tonight.
SHOT! This is as close as Middlesbrough have come tonight as Besic finds space around 25 yards from goal before moving forward and dragging his low effort a couple of yards wide of the far post.
Traore does burst into life down the middle here, but he is crowded out just as it looked like he made beaten a couple of defenders. The tempo of this game is beginning to rise again now.
Villa are enjoying a really good spell of pressure at the moment, but Fry is in the right place at the right time twice in quick succession to clear crosses into the box.
Grealish wins a free kick in a good position for his side which Hourihane takes on, but his powerful low strike hits the wall. Villa still on top right now!
CHANCE! Big chance for Villa as they finally produce a moment of quality - the first real one we have seen in the game tonight! It is a sweeping team move from the hosts as Grealish slides the ball through for Adomah, who in turn plays a low ball into the box. Grabban gets in front of his man and pokes the ball towards goal from close range, but it is straight at Randolph, who makes the save.
YELLOW CARD! Grealish goes into the book for a foul on Traore.
Middlesbrough are now enjoying a spell of possession themselves, which is important to quell this momentum which is growing for Villa. Time is running out for the visitors now!
Grealish is enjoying a growing influence on this game for Villa now, which has helped them begin to take control of proceedings. Still only one goal separates the two sides on aggregate, though.
Here is that Grabban chance and Randolph save - by the far the best attacking moment we have seen so far tonight...
Hutton hoists the ball forward for Grabban, who looks like he is through on goal, but the flag is raised as Randolph sticks out a leg to turn the ball wide of the target.
MIDDLESBROUGH SUB: Tony Pulis turns to his bench for the first time tonight as Patrick Bamford replaces Assombalonga.
SAVE! Grabban tries his luck from distance after being allowed the space to go for goal, and Randolph needs to tip the powerful drive over the crossbar.
SHOT! Adomah is the next to go for goal from range, and his effort takes a deflection on its way over the top, with Randolph rooted to the spot.
MIDDLESBROUGH SUB: Another change for Boro as Rudy Gestede replaces Howson - an attacking change from the visitors!
SAVE! Almost a stunner from Grealish which would have surely been enough to send Villa into the final. Grealish skips away from his marker before curling a superb effort towards the top corner from range, but Randolph is at full stretch to make a flying stop.
Snodgrass wins a free kick for Villa from a long way out, but Snodgrass himself is looking interested in it...
The Villa midfielder does indeed go for goal, but his effort hits the wall.
ASTON VILLA SUB: Villa make their first change of the night as Jonathan Kodjia replaces Grabban.
YELLOW CARD! Besic is the latest player in the book for the totting-up offence.
MIDDLESBROUGH SUB: A third and final change for Boro as Fabio replaces Shotton.
SAVE! Adomah feeds the ball into the path of Hourihane on the edge of the box, but his effort is tame again and Randolph collects it comfortably.
ASTON VILLA SUB: Villa make another change as the experienced Glenn Whelan replaces Hourihane.
YELLOW CARD! Oh, what a huge chance for Middlesbrough out of nothing! Johnstone comes off his line for some reason and never looks like getting to the ball as it is knocked back to Traore. Traore tries to lift the ball over Johnstone, who sticks out a hand to stop it while out of his penalty area. It should be a red, but referee Mike Dean instead only shows a yellow card.
OFF THE BAR! Downing is standing over the resulting free kick and curls a beauty towards goal with Johnstone cannot react to before it flashes past him. However, he is saved by the crossbar as the ball crashes back off the woodwork!
ASTON VILLA SUB: A third and final change for the hosts as Adomah is replaced by Birkir Bjarnason.
There will be FOUR minutes of added time at the end of this match!
CHANCE! Half a chance for Boro in the dying stages as the ball falls to Fabio in the area, but his effort is blocked before it can trouble Johnstone!
FULL TIME: Aston Villa 0-0 Middlesbrough (Aston Villa win 1-0 on aggregate)
ASTON VILLA REACH THE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF FINAL!
There are scenes of jubilation at Villa Park as the fans invade the field - rarely will a 0-0 draw have been so readily celebrated here!
This one is enough to send them through to the Championship playoff final, though, as they beat Middlesbrough 1-0 on aggregate to set up a Wembley showdown with Fulham on May 26. There was controversy at the end when Johnstone was shown a yellow rather than a red for a handball outside the box, with Downing rattling the crossbar from the resulting free kick, but in the end Villa deserved to go through to the richest match in football.
Right, that is all we have time for this evening!
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's match as Aston Villa hold on for a goalless draw which takes them through to the Championship playoff final against Fulham at Wembley. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
