Middlesbrough will be looking to get a positive result when they travel to the Selhurst Park to face an out-of-form Crystal Palace side. Boro are uncomfortably close to the drop zone and will be looking to get as far away as possible from the dreaded spots. Aitor Karanka might have foreseen this stage but with the heavy spending and the manner of signings in both the summer and the winter transfer window, it wouldn’t have come as a surprise if they were comfortably placed in mid-table.
They are currently in the 16th spot and have gone the last 8 games without a win and such a poor run of form might prove to be their undoing and can be costly. Karanka needs to get his tactics right and the players have to respond and implement them properly in order to end the drought. They have strengthened their attack recently and will back the new players to gel with the existing crop and become more of an attacking threat.
Boro will be up against Crystal Palace, who have crippling issues of their own. The 3 points will be extremely important for both the sides and with fellow relegation strugglers, Swansea City and Hull City enjoying some kind of renaissance, the pressure is on the rest of them to come up with the goods.
PREDICTED MIDDLESBROUGH XI VS CRYSTAL PALACE (4-3-3)
DEFENCE
Victor Valdes will be in goal and he has to marshall the backline. His experience and winning mentality should rub off on his teammates and with time still being there to finish in a respectable position, the players should not lose the belief. Chambers has taken over the right-back spot and after a clean sheet against Everton is likely to continue in that role. Bernardo and Gibson will most likely be the centre-back pairing and Fabio will be left-back in light of Friend’s continued absence.
MIDFIELD
The 3-man midfield has helped shore up things for the Riversiders but it has also made their attack look less potent and thus the results haven’t been forthcoming. But with fresh legs up top, the midfield can supply the balls and hope the players up top manage to do something productive with it. De Roon, Clayton and Forshaw are likely to form the 3-man midfield with Guedioura being an alternative.
ATTACK
Traore will be on the right wing and will use his pace and power to unsettle the Palace defence. Negredo will start up front and we might see Stuani on the left wing.
