Aston Villa take on Middlesbrough in the FA Cup on Saturday, looking to progress to the next round of the competition.
Aston Villa are coming into the game against Middlesbrough on the back of a thrilling win over Burnley. But they have been quite inconsistent in their last few outings. The Villans will have to improve on their recent performances to grind out an away when here.
Meanwhile, Middlesbrough were beaten by Coventry City in the last outing. So, the home side will be eager to bounce back strongly. Middlesbrough have won four of their last six matches across all competitions.
So, the home fans will certainly expect a strong reaction from the players here. Middlesbrough will look to take advantage of Aston Villa’s vulnerabilities and grind out a positive result. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter.
Team News & Tactics
Middlesbrough
The home team will be without the services of Paddy McNair, Matt Crooks, Marcus Forss, and Darragh Lenihan. Middlesbrough are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Tom Glover in goal.
Rav van den Berg and Lukas Engel will start as the full-backs. The duo will look to protect the defensive unit and help out during counter-attacks. Dael Fry will start alongside Matt Clarke at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Jonny Howson will start alongside Daniel Barlaser in the double pivot. The two players will look to break up opposition attacks and protect the defenders.
Morgan Rogers will start as the central attacking midfielder here, and he will look to add creativity to the side. Isaiah Jones and Sam Greenwood will be deployed in the wide areas. Finally, Josh Coburn will lead the line for Middlesbrough against Aston Villa.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Glover; Den Berg, Fry, Clarke, Engel; Barlaser, Howson; Jones, Rogers, Greenwood; Coburn
Aston Villa
The visitors are without Emiliano Buendia, Tyrone Mings and Lucas Digne. Meanwhile, Bertrand Traore is away on Africa Cup of Nations duty. Aston Villa will shape up in their usual 4-4-1-1 formation, with Emiliano Martinez in goal.
Ezri Konsa and Alex Moreno will be deployed as the full-backs here. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Diego Carlos should feature alongside Pau Torres at the heart of the Aston Villa defence.
John McGinn will start alongside Douglas Luiz in the middle of the park, and the two players will look to add drive and defensive cover to the side. Leon Bailey and Jacob Ramsey will be deployed is the wide areas. They will look to protect the full backs and help out during transitions. Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Aston Villa, with Moussa Diaby behind him operating in the free role.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Moreno; Bailey, McGinn, Luiz, Ramsey; Diaby; Watkins
Key Stats
- Aston Villa have kept a clean sheet in their last five matches against Middlesbrough in all competitions.
- Aston Villa have won six of their last seven away matches against Middlesbrough in all competitions.
- Ten goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
- Aston Villa have conceded at least once in each of their last five matches.
- Middlesbrough have conceded in each of their last three matches.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
The 28-year-old has been in fine form this season scoring 9 goals and picking up 8 assists in 20 league matches this season.
Watkins was outstanding in the last outing against Burnley and he produced a couple of important assists. He will look to influence the game with his creativity and goal scoring ability. Middlesbrough will struggle to contain a top class striker like him provided he is on top of his game.
Prediction
Middlesbrough 1-2 Aston villa
Aston Villa have been quite mediocre in the last few outings, and they have dropped important points. However, they have been outstanding overall this season, and the gulf in class between the two sides is immense.
The visitors have enough quality to grind out a victory away from home and it remains to be seen whether the players can step up and deliver. Middlesbrough are likely to put up a fight here, and a narrow win for Aston Villa is on the cards.
