Morning all! The one and only lunchtime kickoff in England today is a belter as Championship promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough and Derby do battle at The Riverside. Team news coming right up...

BORO XI: Konstantopoulos; Nsue, Gibson, Ayala, Friend; Reach, Clayton, Leadbitter, Adomah; Vossen, Bamford
Subs: Mejias, Husband, Whitehead, Kike, Omeruo, Veljkovic, Wildschut

It's not surprising to see a very similar Boro side to the one that hammered Millwall 5-1 last week. There's just one change, with Ben Gibson coming in at the back for Kenneth Omeruo.

DERBY XI: Grant; Christie, Keogh, Shotton, Forsyth; Mascarell, Hendrick, Bryson; Russell, Martin, Dawkins
Subs: Roos, Buxton, Coutts, Hughes, Ibe, Calero, Best

Like Boro, visitors Derby make one change from their starting XI last week. It's also in defence as captain Richard Keogh replaces Jake Buxton at centre-back.

This is what Derby coach Paul Simpson has said about the change at the back: "Jake Buxton didn't let us down last week, we thought he was excellent, but Richard Keogh hasn't let us down either. He is the Captain of the team and Steve felt it was right to bring him back into the team for today's game. We have got another big week coming up with three games in a week and I'm sure Jake Buxton, and others in the group, will be needed over this week."

Like Simpson says, the Rams have got three games in a week as they take Chelsea in the Capital One Cup quarter-final on Tuesday night. If the Rams win today, it will be a meeting of the leaders of the Premier League and Championship. Should be a good'un!

WATCH: The lads are coming out to warm up. What are your score predictions? https://t.co/pvcZo453Yi — Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) December 13, 2014

I really am hoping for a great game today. The two sides had fantastic results last week, with Boro winning 5-1 at Millwall, which is always a tough place to go, while Derby scored three times in the opening half an hour to see off Brighton & Hove Albion.

Jelle Vossen scored a hat-trick at The Den to end a 12-game wait for a goal since joining on loan from Genk. Chelsea loanee Patrick Bamford was also on the scoresheet for the third game in a row and Derby fans will know him well as he was on loan at the iPro Stadium for a period of last season.

PREDICTION TIME: With just 10 minutes until kickoff, it's time for my pre-game prediction. As you'll see in the video below, I'm expecting goals today and went for a 2-2 draw on the Sports Mole Sofa.

I mentioned the prowess of Boro's strikers, but Derby also have a menacing front line. Chris Martin is the star forward and was on the scoresheet twice last week to end a four-game drought.

Boro will be pretty confident going into this as they have won seven of the last eight games at home against Derby. As mentioned above, they won't have their manager barking orders as he's up in the stands with a touchline ban. The hosts are also without an assistant after the recent departure of Craig Hignett so it will be interesting to see who takes the lead in the dugout.

Kickoff fast approaching on Teesside.

VINE: The teams make their way out onto the pitch at the Riverside Stadium #MFCvDCFC #dcfcfans https://t.co/reQt2MxbRr — Derby County (@dcfcofficial) December 13, 2014

Speaking about his recent outburst against Blackburn which is why he'll be watching in the directors' box today, Karanka says: "I made a mistake, and I've learnt my lesson."

KICKOFF! Hosts Boro get us underway in a sunny, but cold North-East.

It's been a really confident start by league leaders Derby. They're already pinging the ball around swiftly. Steve McClaren, who knows this ground very well from his time as Boro boss, likes to watch from higher up in the early stages so he joins Karanka in the stands.

Since that fast-paced start, it's been a really cagey few minutes.

Blimey! Just moments after I said how cagey it had been, Boro take the lead and it's the fourth game in a row that Bamford has scored in. He haunts his former club with a pinpoint finish off the inside of the post from Reach's cutback. Derby will be unhappy at the way they conceded possession and then allowed the cross to reach Bamford.

That's also Bamford's sixth goal in seven games. He's an excellent player at this level and provides some technical class that makes him really stand out.

CLOSE! Dawkins wins Derby a corner and it's headed just wide by Shotton. Decent response by the Rams, who, as it stands, will be dropping down to second.

At the other end, it's dodgy defending from Shotton as he allows a high ball to bounce. Vossen is in pursuit, but Shotton recovers to head the ball back to his keeper Grant.

Martin shows the linesman the mark on his chest which shows that the ball hit him there and not on the arm after the linesman had flagged for handball. It's a really poor decision from the official as it happened just in front of him. Today's referee, by the way, is Roger East.

Karanka is busy giving plenty of orders down the phone in the directors' box to the bench. He can't be happy with his side's passing at the moment as Derby have had 70% possession early on. Still, the hosts do lead.

Strong wing play again from Reach as he beats two men out on the left. Bamford makes a similar run to the one he made for the goal but this time Reach's cutback is behind his teammate.

Derby continue to dominate the ball with 71% possession, but they've managed just one shot all game and that was Shotton's header that went wide shortly after Bamford's goal.

If Boro do win here, they won't be guaranteed top spot at the end of the day as a win for Ipswich or a bigger win than Boro's for Bournemouth would see them claim top spot. Ipswich travel to resurgent Bolton Wanderers, while Bournemouth host Cardiff at 3pm. We'll be covering the former live in detail here on SM.

A little worrying for Boro as goalscorer Bamford appears to hurt his ankle in a challenge with Keogh. He should be OK to carry on.

DOUBLE-SAVE! Boro are so close to going two in front as Bamford is slipped in and fires off a shot that Grant parries out into Vossen's path. He sidefoots it powerfully at goal and Grant is alert to make a fabulous fingertip save.

BOOKING! East gets his yellow card out for the first time today after Ayala nastily slid in and took out Russell. Clear booking and no arguments from the Boro defender.

Strong run forward from Derby right-back Christie and he manages to get into the box before being tackled just as he was about to cross/shoot.

Poor from Forsyth as he is tackled cheaply by Adomah on the wing. He does well to fight back though and put off Adomah as he was sending in a cross to Vossen.

SHOT! Reach, who does have a powerful left-footed strike, tries his luck from at least 25 yards but gets under the ball too much. A good few yards over the bar.

Derby work the ball out to Christie on the right but his cross is terrible. Sums up Derby's half that - decent build-up play, but no end product.

They do work a shooting opportunity for Russell, though. He's a little off-balance and can only shoot tamely wide.

GOAL PIC: @Patrick_Bamford opens the scoring at the Riverside. 1-0. pic.twitter.com/kDRx4e4nF7

— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) December 13, 2014

There's been very little action of note in the last few minutes. Derby continue to see more than two-thirds of the ball, but they just can't do anything in the final third.

Boro finishing the half strongly as Bamford feeds it out to Reach on the left. His cross is too high for Bamford, but Keogh only heads it to Leadbitter who tees it up for Nsue and his shot is deflected and stopped going out for a corner by Grant.

CHANCE! Derby's best chance of the match as Russell surges in from the right and pokes it to Hendrick whose shot from just inside the box is a weak effort that Konstantopoulos easily holds. That's Derby's first shot on target.

Oops, half time that should read! It's not over yet, but Boro wish it could be. They lead 1-0 after a first half of few chances.

That's half-time, and it's 1-0 after a good first half performance. Here's Aitor watching on... pic.twitter.com/CWlmAyL6AO

— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) December 13, 2014

If you're only just joining us and want a quick summary of the opening 45, look no further than our HT report. Bamford's sixth-minute strike separates the two sides.

Boro fans will certainly want to click here and check out the latest Championship table. If things stay like this and both Ipswich and Bournemouth fail to win today, Boro will be top of the pile.

The attendance at the Riverside today is 17,434, with 934 travelling Rams.

A mixture of emotions in this picture as Bamford races off in celebration while Derby players Grant and Shotton grit their teeth.

CELEBRATION PIC: @Patrick_Bamford wheels away after making it 1-0 against @dcfcofficial #UTB pic.twitter.com/Pb2cLYXZxs

— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) December 13, 2014

DERBY SUBS: No messing from McClaren as he makes a pair of changes at the break. Leon Best and Jordon Ibe are on, with Mascarell and Dawkins off. That's a change of formation with Derby going 4-4-2. No changes for Boro at the break.

KICKOFF! We're back underway at the Riverside.

The Rams need to do more going forward and with Ibe, Russell, Best and Martin on the field, they should offer more in attack.

This is exactly the start to the half that Boro would have wanted. They've seen a good amount of the ball after being dominated possession-wise in the opening 45.

A bit of handbags between Bamford and Grant after the former slid in to try to block Grant's clearance and couldn't stop his momentum so took out the keeper. Bamford tries to laugh it off, but Grant isn't happy and pushing it away.

BOOKING! Hendrick becomes the first Derby player into the book after wiping out Ayala.

Reach continues to enjoy himself down the left wing. His latest cross causes havoc in the six-yard box and Derby just about survive.

CHANCE! Derby give away possession cheaply and Boro should make more of the opportunity as Vossen shoots against Keogh when Reach was unmarked to his left.

CLOSE! The left wing continues to be fruitful for the hosts as this time Friend charges into the empty space and sends over an inviting cross that Grant tips away.

CHANCE! Boro are well on top here and should be at least two to the good. This is their best chance since the goal as Leadbitter whips over a free kick and Ayala fails to make contact from about seven yards with no-one near him. Any kind of touch would have been good enough for a goal but it goes straight through and Grant blocks it on the line. The rebound falls to Clayton and his shot arrows a yard or so wide.

Karanka will no doubt be sitting up in the stands and worrying that they could live to regret missing all these chances.

DERBY SUB: A third and final change for the home side as Hughes replaces Hendrick in midfield.

Leadbitter fires home his sixth penalty of the season after Shotton had brought down Bamford to deny a clear goalscoring opportunity in the box. It was a lovely through-ball from Vossen to find Bamford and East had no choice but to send off the Stoke City loanee.

You have to say that the goal had been coming. After just about edging a tight first half, Boro have been excellent in the second and fully deserve their advantage.

SHOT! Great hit from Bamford, who has been a real thorn in his former side today. It's a low strike that's heading inside the post when Grant tips it wide.

Remember, Derby have made all three of their subs so they are now short at the back and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Boro get one or two more.

BOOKING! Bryson clatters into Bamford and that's a clear booking.

SAVE! Bamford again comes close to a third for Boro after Adomah stole the ball and crossed low to the near post where Bamford stabbed it straight at Grant. Good stop.

BORO SUB: The home side make their first change as Bamford, who seems to have picked up a slight knock, is replaced by Kike. No holding back as that's striker for striker.

BOOKING! Forsyth slides in late on Reach to pick up his second booking of the season. Derby players clearly getting frustrated.

BORO SUB: Vossen hobbles off after a seemingly harmless tumble in the box. He's replaced by Yanic Wildschut.

GOAL PIC: Here's Grant doubling the advantage. #UTB pic.twitter.com/QsAmakmGWk — Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) December 13, 2014

Derby are suffering from inconsistency at the moment. They had a really good win last week over Brighton, but were beaten 2-0 at Leeds the week before. Plenty to ponder for McClaren ahead of their Capital One Cup quarter-final against Chelsea on Tuesday.

The hosts, meanwhile, continue to play with vigour as Kike closes down Grant. They want it a lot more today.

Great skill from Wildschut as he beats two men out on the left before seeing his cross hacked clear by Keogh. Had he dinked it to the back post it would have been an easy header for Adomah.

CHANCE! Ooh, that would have made it an interesting last few minutes! Derby have their second shot on target as Martin receives the ball with his back to goal and backheels it into the path of Bryson, whose shot is parried out by Konstantopoulos. The rebound looks like it will be a tap-in for Best, but he reacts slowly and Boro are able to clear.

There will be four minutes of added time. This game was over a while ago, though. Congratulations Boro, you're going top!

Kike tucks the ball into the far corner after a great touch in the air but he was offside so it doesn't count.

A surprisingly comfortable win for Boro as they cruise past the league leaders 2-0 to go top themselves.

Click here to see what the latest table looks like. If Ipswich beat Bolton they will go top and Boro could drop to third if that happens and Bournemouth win by two or more goals against Cardiff.

Anyway, thanks for joining us this afternoon. Click around on site for coverage of every Premier League game and we'll also have in-depth commentary for Bolton-Ipswich coming in about 15 minutes.