Preview: Middlesbrough vs Espanyol - prediction, team news, lineups

Middlesbrough and Espanyol will continue their preparations for their new campaigns when they lock horns in a pre-season friendly on Saturday.

Boro's 2026-27 season starts in the EFL Cup against Wrexham on August 7, while Espanyol will take on Levante in their La Liga opener on August 16.

Match preview

Middlesbrough have taken to the field twice during pre-season, drawing 1-1 with Celtic on July 18 before suffering a 3-1 defeat to Huddersfield Town on July 25.

Boro are now preparing to play their final friendly of the summer on Saturday, with the team beginning their 2026-27 campaign against Wrexham in the EFL Cup on August 7.

Kim Hellberg's side will then host Lincoln City in their first game of their new Championship season on August 15, and the club's supporters will be expecting another promotion push this term.

Middlesbrough finished fifth in the Championship last season to make the playoffs, but they lost 1-0 to Hull City in the final and are therefore preparing for another campaign in the second tier.

Boro have made five signings this summer, with the biggest of those being Will Lankshear from Tottenham Hotspur, and a lot is expected from the 21-year-old next season.

Espanyol, meanwhile, have already played four pre-season friendlies, beating Olot and Pau FC in their first two matches before drawing 1-1 with Sabadell and 2-2 with Burnley last time out.

The Catalan outfit finished 11th in Spain's top flight last season, but their form in the second half of the campaign cost them a potential European finish.

Manolo Gonzalez's side will face Middlesbrough and Coventry City in their final two friendlies of the summer before opening their new La Liga campaign against Levante on August 16.

Espanyol have made three signings this summer, with Alex Calatrava, Quilindschy Hartman and Gabriel Moscardo making the move to the club.

There have also been nine first-team departures, while three loan players have returned to their parent clubs, so there are expected to more incomings before the window closes.

Middlesbrough pre-season form:

Espanyol pre-season form:

WWDD

Team News

Lankshear made his debut for Boro in the clash with Huddersfield last time out, and the summer arrival is again expected to feature against Espanyol.

Morgan Whittaker was on the scoresheet last time out and should also be in the XI, with head coach Hellberg potentially making wholesale changes on the hour mark.

There could also be some minutes for Sebastian Berhalter following his arrival from Vancouver Whitecaps.

Espanyol's team is likely to be similar to the one that took to the field for the first whistle against Burnley last time out, with Roberto Fernandez set to be among the starters.

There could be an introduction in the final third of the field for Kike Garcia, though, with the experienced striker scoring off the bench against the Championship team.

The highly-rated Omar El Hilali should also be included in the first XI.

Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:

Dieng; Brittain, Edmundson, Jones, Munroe; McGree, Morris, Castledine; Whittaker, Lankshear, Hansen

Espanyol possible starting lineup:

Fortuno; El Hilali, Cabrera, Hartman, Riedel; Milla, Exposito, Gonzalez; Jofre, K Garcia, Fernandez

We say: Middlesbrough 2-2 Espanyol

We are expecting an open and entertaining match on Saturday between two teams with a lot of quality, and the spoils could be shared in a high-scoring draw.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.