Preview: Norwich City vs Middlesbrough - prediction, team news, lineups

Middlesbrough will be looking to maintain their 100% start to the Championship season when they travel to Carrow Road for Saturday's meeting with Norwich City.

Meanwhile, the Canaries will be targeting back-to-back league wins after getting the better of Portsmouth last weekend.

Match preview

After finishing in 13th place last term, Norwich will be looking for a considerable improvement in Liam Manning's first season in charge.

Manning, who guided Bristol City to the playoffs last term, kicked off his Norwich tenure with a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Millwall, before his team bounced back with a narrow win over Watford in the EFL Cup first round.

The Canaries backed up that result with a successful trip to Fratton Park, claiming a 2-1 win over Portsmouth thanks to early goals from Harry Darling and Josh Sargent.

They will now return home to Carrow Road with aspirations of recording consecutive victories in the Championship for the first time since February.

However, that will be easier said than done for a club that have failed to win any of their previous seven league meetings with Middlesbrough (D3, L4).

As a result, they have not recorded a head-to-head victory since they picked up a 1-0 away win in November 2020, while their most recent home win over Middlesbrough took place in September 2018.

Like Norwich, Middlesbrough entered the new season with a new manager after they decided to replace Michael Carrick with former Luton Town boss Rob Edwards.

The 42-year-old may have overseen a surprise 4-0 defeat to Doncaster Rovers in the EFL Cup, but he will be pleased with the fact that he has started his tenure with back-to-back Championship victories, leaving Boro in second place in the early stages of the season.

Middlesbrough edged out Swansea City via a 1-0 scoreline on the opening day of the season, before they produced a free-scoring display to hammer Millwall 3-0 in last Saturday's away clash.

Hayden Hackney, Alfie Jones and Delano Burgzorg all got on the scoresheet, while the defence stood firm to record another consecutive league clean sheets, ensuring that their side are one of two teams yet to concede in the Championship this season.

Boro are now aiming to win their opening three league games of a season for the first time since the 1994-95 campaign, when they started with four successive victories in the second tier.

Middlesbrough will at the very least fancy their chances of picking up a point, having avoided defeat in each of their previous four trips to Carrow Road, including a dramatic 3-3 draw in their most recent away meeting with Norwich in October 2024.

Norwich City Championship form:

L W

Norwich City form (all competitions):

L W W

Middlesbrough Championship form:

W W

Middlesbrough form (all competitions):

W L W

Team News

Norwich are still expected to be without the services of Lucien Mahovo, Kenny McLean, Amankwah Forson and Gabriel Forsyth.

Midfielder Marcelino Nunez is set for a spell on the sidelines after being forced off with an ankle injury in the recent win over Portsmouth.

Jacob Wright replaced Nunez at Fratton Park and is now in line to feature in the middle of the park with summer signing Mirko Topic.

As for the visitors, goalkeeper Seny Dieng and defender Darragh Lenihan are closing in on a return to action, although the pair are unlikely to be ready for Saturday's away clash.

Boro are also without the services of midfielder Riley McGree, who has not been involved since July's pre-season friendly against Bradford City.

Sverre Nypan could feature in the matchday squad following his loan move from Manchester City, while Finn Azaz should be among the travelling party after Middlesbrough rejected a transfer bid from Southampton.

Norwich City possible starting lineup:

Kovacevic; Medic, Darling, Cordoba; Stacey, Wright, Topic, Diallo; Schwartau, Crnac; Sargent

Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:

Brynn; Ayling, Fry, Jones; Brittain, Hackney, Morris, Silvera; Whittaker, Burgzorg; Conway

We say: Norwich City 2-2 Middlesbrough

Norwich will be eyeing three more points after claiming their first league win of the season, but they are set to face a Middlesbrough side that will be in a positive mood following back-to-back league wins.

With that in mind, we think that the Canaries will have to be content with a point, especially as they have failed to win any of their last four home games against Boro.

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