Middlesbrough and Bolton Wanderers will meet at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon with both teams looking for their first goal of the Championship campaign after recording goalless draws last weekend.
On Saturday, Bolton couldn't find a breakthrough against Derby County before Boro came up short against Preston North End at Deepdale.
Middlesbrough
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After narrowly missing out on promotion last season, Middlesbrough begin this campaign as one of the favourites for the Championship title but they were relatively disappointing in their stalemate with Preston.
The game at Deepdale featured very few chances as both teams underperformed, but Aitor Karanka could be content with his team after they managed to shut out opponents who were full of enthusiasm after their return to the second tier.
Karanka made wholesale changes to his starting lineup for the Capital One Cup clash at Oldham Athletic, but his side's performance on that night showed the depth of talent that the Spaniard has at his disposal.
New signing Christian Stuani would have been delighted to get his first goals since joining the club, and big things are expected from a man who has come from La Liga and is a regular at international level with Uruguay.
However, as returning midfielder Stewart Downing admitted after the Preston draw, Boro must improve in all departments if they are to mount a promotion charge this year and they will be targeting an offensive display when they play in front of their home fans for the first time this season.
Recent form: D
Recent form (all competitions): DW
Bolton Wanderers
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Neil Lennon and his Bolton side would have taken plenty of positives from their draw with Derby last weekend, but the morale of the club has taken a hit ahead of the trip to the North-East.
They had the unenviable task of facing a County side who had made several high-profile acquisitions and are being tipped for promotion, but the Trotters were largely the better side and should have claimed maximum points in the closing stages.
Lennon wouldn't have been too concerned with the lack of a decisive touch in the final third, but his views would have changed after they failed to score against League One Burton Albion, who nicked a late winner in their League Cup tie at the Macron Stadium.
The North-West outfit have created 32 opportunities in 180 minutes of football, but the target has only been hit on nine occasions. That will be a worry for Lennon who is looking to ensure that the club don't begin the season off the pace like they did last year.
There has been little wrong with their two displays, but playing Middlesbrough at the Riverside has proved tough for every team since Karanka was placed in charge and they will need to be clinical inside the box if they are going to come away with a positive result.
Recent form: D
Recent form (all competitions): DL
Team News
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Stuani is likely to be handed a home debut after he struck twice at Boundary Park on Wednesday night.
That match also saw Diego Fabbrini make an impact on his full debut for the club and he, too, could start at the Riverside Stadium.
As for Bolton, they will be without midfielder Darren Pratley after he sustained an ankle injury against Derby, but Jay Spearing returns after suspension.
Liam Trotter will be absent with an hamstring problem, but new signing Prince-Desire Gouano should feature in defence with Tim Ream likely to miss out again as Queens Park Rangers and Fulham continue to chase his signature.
Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Konstantopoulos, Kalas, Ayala, Fry, Friend, Adomah, Clayton, Leadbitter, Reach, Downing, Stuani
Bolton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Amos, Wilson, Dervite, Gouano, Moxey, Spearing, Pratley, Feeney, Clough, Danns, Madine
Head To Head
In 94 previous meetings between the two sides, it is Bolton who have enjoyed the majority of success, winning on 41 occasions compared to 30 victories from Boro.
However, it is Middlesbrough who have had the upper hand since the teams were relegated to the Championship, with four wins being recorded in their last six fixtures.
Middlesbrough have also won the last three games at the Riverside, but Bolton did win twice in the North-East in 2008.
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Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:
We say: Middlesbrough 2-0 Bolton Wanderers
With Middlesbrough consistently strong at home last season and Bolton suffering with a crisis in confidence in attack, it is hard to look past Karanka's men for this game. Boro were especially impressive in the opening 45 minutes of games last year and if they can nick an early lead, we expect them to see the game out.
Darren Plant
