Middlesbrough vs Southampton, 2025-26 English League Championship, Promotion Semifinals

· 1st Leg

Middlesbrough

FT
0 - 0
1st Leg

Southampton

Southampton and Middlesbrough play out goalless draw in first leg of Championship playoff semifinal

Southampton parked 'spygate' and survived an early onslaught against aggrieved Middlesbrough as a pulsating first leg of this Sky Bet Championship play-off semifinal somehow ended 0-0.

Match Commentary

0': Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
0': First Half begins.
2': Offside, Southampton. Cyle Larin is caught offside.
6': Attempt blocked. Riley McGree (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Tommy Conway.
6': Attempt blocked. Riley McGree (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Tommy Conway.
6': Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
7': Attempt missed. David Strelec (Middlesbrough) header from the left side of the six yard box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Morgan Whittaker with a cross following a corner.
11': Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
11': Foul by Finn Azaz (Southampton).
14': Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Tom Fellows.
16': Attempt missed. Morgan Whittaker (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Aidan Morris.
16': Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
16': Foul by Caspar Jander (Southampton).
17': Attempt missed. Riley McGree (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box misses to the left. Assisted by Callum Brittain.
20': Attempt blocked. Tommy Conway (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Riley McGree.
20': Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by James Bree.
21': Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Daniel Peretz.
21': Attempt saved. Morgan Whittaker (Middlesbrough) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner by Daniel Peretz (Southampton). Assisted by Matt Targett.
23': Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Caspar Jander.
25': Tommy Conway (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
25': Foul by Tom Fellows (Southampton).
27': Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the left wing.
27': Foul by Finn Azaz (Southampton).
28': Attempt missed. Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Matt Targett.
30': Attempt missed. Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left.
30': Adilson Malanda (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
30': Foul by Cyle Larin (Southampton).
32': Attempt blocked. Tommy Conway (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by David Strelec.
32': Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by James Bree.
33': Attempt missed. Matt Targett (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from outside the box is too high following a corner.
35': Tommy Conway (Middlesbrough) hits the right post with a right footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by Riley McGree following a fast break.
40': Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Ryan Manning.
40': Attempt saved. Tommy Conway (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from very close range is saved in the bottom right corner by Daniel Peretz (Southampton). Assisted by Riley McGree.
40': Attempt saved. Matt Targett (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner by Daniel Peretz (Southampton). Assisted by Morgan Whittaker.
41': Attempt blocked. Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
43': Adilson Malanda (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
43': Foul by Caspar Jander (Southampton).
44': Offside, Middlesbrough. Riley McGree is caught offside.
44': Foul by Caspar Jander (Southampton).
44': Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
45'+1': Fourth official has announced 2 minutes of added time.
45'+1': Attempt blocked. Morgan Whittaker (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by David Strelec.
45'+1': Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Ryan Manning.
45'+2': Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Nathan Wood.
45'+2': Attempt missed. Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough) header from a difficult angle on the right is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Morgan Whittaker with a cross following a corner.
45'+3': First Half ends, Middlesbrough 0, Southampton 0.
45': Second Half begins Middlesbrough 0, Southampton 0.
49': Foul by David Strelec (Middlesbrough).
49': Nathan Wood (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
50': Attempt missed. Cyle Larin (Southampton) header from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Tom Fellows with a cross.
52': Attempt blocked. David Strelec (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Matt Targett with a cross.
52': Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
52': Attempt missed. Riley McGree (Middlesbrough) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Matt Targett with a cross following a corner.
54': Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the left wing.
54': Foul by Flynn Downes (Southampton).
55': Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
55': Foul by Cyle Larin (Southampton).
55': Cyle Larin (Southampton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
57': Attempt missed. David Strelec (Middlesbrough) header from the right side of the six yard box misses to the left. Assisted by Callum Brittain with a cross.
59': Morgan Whittaker (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
59': Foul by Flynn Downes (Southampton).
59': Flynn Downes (Southampton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
60': Substitution, Southampton. Ross Stewart replaces Cyle Larin.
61': Léo Scienza (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
61': Foul by Riley McGree (Middlesbrough).
61': Finn Azaz (Southampton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
61': Foul by Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough).
62': Attempt missed. Léo Scienza (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
65': Offside, Southampton. Tom Fellows is caught offside.
67': Attempt blocked. Léo Scienza (Southampton) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ross Stewart.
68': Substitution, Middlesbrough. Alan Browne replaces Riley McGree.
69': Substitution, Southampton. Kuryu Matsuki replaces Tom Fellows.
69': Substitution, Southampton. Shea Charles replaces Flynn Downes.
69': Foul by Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough).
69': Léo Scienza (Southampton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
70': Attempt missed. Shea Charles (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is too high following a set piece situation.
72': Corner, Southampton. Conceded by Matt Targett.
75': Offside, Southampton. Léo Scienza is caught offside.
76': Delay in match (Middlesbrough).
76': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
77': Alan Browne (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the left wing.
77': Foul by Shea Charles (Southampton).
79': Substitution, Middlesbrough. Jeremy Sarmiento replaces Morgan Whittaker.
79': Substitution, Middlesbrough. Leo Castledine replaces David Strelec.
79': Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Ryan Manning.
80': Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
80': Foul by Ross Stewart (Southampton).
82': Offside, Middlesbrough. Leo Castledine is caught offside.
84': Ryan Manning (Southampton) wins a free kick on the left wing.
84': Foul by Jeremy Sarmiento (Middlesbrough).
84': Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Southampton) hits the bar with a header from the centre of the box. Assisted by Ryan Manning with a cross following a set piece situation.
85': Foul by Dael Fry (Middlesbrough).
85': Ross Stewart (Southampton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
86': Substitution, Southampton. Samuel Edozie replaces Léo Scienza.
87': Attempt missed. Samuel Edozie (Southampton) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Ross Stewart following a fast break.
89': Offside, Southampton. Samuel Edozie is caught offside.
90': Fourth official has announced 3 minutes of added time.
90'+1': Attempt saved. Leo Castledine (Middlesbrough) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal by Daniel Peretz (Southampton). Assisted by Aidan Morris with a cross.
90'+3': Caspar Jander (Southampton) wins a free kick on the left wing.
90'+3': Foul by Alan Browne (Middlesbrough).
90'+4': Second Half ends, Middlesbrough 0, Southampton 0.
0': Match ends, Middlesbrough 0, Southampton 0.

Statistics

SOU		MID
12	Fouls	7
2	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0
4	Offsides	2
1	Corner Kicks	11
4	Saves	0
36.5	Possession	63.5
6	SHOTS	21
0	ON GOAL	5
0.0	On Target %	0.2
0	Penalty Goals	0
0	Penalty Kicks Taken	0
257	Accurate Passes	481
328	Passes	568
0.8	Pass Completion %	0.8
5	Accurate Crosses	6
18	Crosses	34
0.3	Cross %	0.2
51	Long Balls	43
22	Accurate Long Balls	20
0.4	Long Balls %	0.5
1	Blocked Shots	6
6	Effective Tackles	7
9	Tackles	10
0.7	Tackle %	0.7
12	Interceptions	8
29	Effective Clearances	21
29	Clearances	21

Game Information

Competition: English League Championship

Venue: Riverside Stadium
Location: Middlesbrough, England
Attendance: 32,045

Line-Ups

Middlesbrough (3-4-2-1)

No.	Name
31	Solomon Brynn (GK)
6	Dael Fry
29	Adilson Malanda
12	Luke Ayling
8	Riley McGree
18	Aidan Morris
3	Matt Targett
2	Callum Brittain
13	David Strelec
9	Tommy Conway
11	Morgan Whittaker

Middlesbrough Substitutes:

Joe Wildsmith, Samuel Silvera, Leo Castledine, Alex Gilbert, Sontje Hansen, Harley Hunt, Cruz Ibeh, Alan Browne, Jeremy Sarmiento.

Southampton (4-2-3-1)

No.	Name
41	Daniel Peretz (GK)
15	Nathan Wood
6	Taylor Harwood-Bellis
3	Ryan Manning
14	James Bree
10	Finn Azaz
4	Flynn Downes
20	Caspar Jander
9	Cyle Larin
13	Léo Scienza
18	Tom Fellows

Southampton Substitutes:

Cameron Bragg, Welington, Samuel Edozie, Ross Stewart, Shea Charles, Joshua Quarshie, Kuryu Matsuki, George Long, Cameron Archer.

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