Coventry City – Middlesbrough

The more experienced visitors will not lose the first match of the semi-final clash

Coventry City spent nine inglorious seasons at the turn of the millennium in the Premier League, never finishing above eleventh place. Since then, the Sky Blue have traveled between divisions, even relegating to League Two for one year. In the current league, Coventry City produced a sensational result. Having been relegated to the middle of the league in the previous two seasons, the magnificent Mark Robins has built a strong squad without the aid of costly human resources to finish in fifth place in the league. By comparison, the line-up of upcoming rival Coventry City is estimated to be twice as expensive as that of the Sky Blue. Middlesbrough are in the Championship for the sixth year in a row, showing ambitions of promotion almost every year, but failing to reach a top-6 finish. This year it was clear a few rounds before the last round that Boro would be in the play-offs and most likely from fourth position. Coventry City and Middlesbrough rehearsed their play-off semi-final clash a few days ago in the Championship. The final round match took place at Riverside, bringing the teams one goal each in the first half, which was the last for them (1-1). The bookmakers gave a slight edge in the odds to the home side in the first meeting, offering odds of 2.53 on their win. Coventry City have earned a top spot in the Championship through successes in the final third of the season. Since February 11 this year, the Sky Blue have taken part in seventeen rounds of the championship, which resulted in only one loss. The opponents were unexpectedly Stoke City, who scored four unanswered goals at the Coventry Building. Half of the meetings in this period ended in victories for Coventry City, while the other half ended in draws. Middlesbrough, unlike their rivals, have had a flatter season but have not been without setbacks in recent months. At the beginning and end of April, Boro lost twice in a row, and they approach the trip to Coventry on a three-game unbeaten streak. We bet that the visitors will use their accumulated energy and emotions to achieve a positive result in the upcoming game.