Leicester City and Middlesbrough face each other in what will essentially be a match which both the teams will expect to win. Middlesbrough seem to have got the hang of the trials of the Premier League and after heartening performances against Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, they won’t be faulted for expecting at least a draw in the worst scenario.
Boro did fall short in the initial weeks, with the players looking overawed after their promotion to the big league. But Karanka has ramped up his training sessions and it seems to have the trick as far as the belief is considered as the Riversiders have gone toe to toe with the big guns.
Leicester, on the other hand, are finding it difficult to juggle UCL and PL are perilously close to the relegation zone.
Let us take a look at the 3 key battles which are expected to shape the outcome of this match.
RIYAD MAHREZ VS FABIO
Mahrez hasn’t been able to express himself fully and thus has been a far cry from the player he was last season. His lack of form has hurt the Foxes and the creativity he offers has been successfully stifled in the league till now. But his quality is undeniable and Fabio, who will stand-in for George Friend, has to be on top of his game to keep Mahrez in check which won’t be easy even with the Algerian’s absence of his top form.
ALVARO NEGREDO VS WES MORGAN
Negredo has gone off the boil when it comes to goals and assists in recent weeks and while it has been a concern for Middlesbrough, his work-rate and dedication has not gone unnoticed and Karanka believes that goals are on the way.
His physical presence and aerial ability will surely a threat for the Leicester defensive duo who are themselves well-built and relish a battle with the centre-forwards. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top with the stakes high.
MARTEN DE ROON VS SHINJI OKAZAKI
De Roon must have got a whole lot of confidence after his match-saving goal against Manchester City and is slowly starting to show the qualities which made Boro break the bank for his services.
Recovering from the injury hasn’t been easy for him, especially coming into a new league. Part of a midfield two or three, he will have to deal with the wily and hard-working Okazaki who likes to operate in the channels between the midfield and defence. His runs and movement have to be monitored.
