Date: 6th January 2024
Kick-Off: 17:30 UK, 18:30 CET
Venue: Riverside
Contents
Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa: Top free betting tips
Can Middlesbrough burst the Aston Villa bubble by knocking them out of the FA Cup this weekend? Our Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa is for Michael Carrick's side to spring one of the upsets of the weekend by overcoming Unai Emery and his impressive Aston Villa outfit.
Villa unquestionably go into the match as favourites as the second-highest ranked team in English football but Middlesbrough aren't a bad side and they have already shown in the Carabao Cup this season that they can more than hold their own in cup competitions.
Match result prediction: Middlesbrough to win
Our first Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa is for a shock home win. Boro have been up and down all season but they have won several big matches at the Riverside since Michael Carrick took charge. Aston Villa meanwhile have been sensational all season but they have begun to struggle in recent weeks. Their away form is nowhere near as good as their home form so they can be got at.
Total goals prediction: Under 2.5 goals
Aston Villa were forced into a 3-2 thriller with Burnley at the weekend, while they were on the receiving end of a Man Utd comeback a few days prior. However, high-scoring games has been far from the norm for the Villains with their previous five matches all seeing fewer than three goals.
Correct score prediction: Middlesbrough 1-0 Aston Villa
Unai Emery is likely to take this opportunity to rest almost all of his best players after a gruelling first half of the season which has seen Villa play in the Premier League and Europa Conference League. The players that come into the team will be lacking rhythm and confidence while Middlesbrough will surely go full strength as they go on the hunt for a big scalp.
How far will Aston Villa fans travel to the Riverside?
Aston Villa fans have a relatively long journey up to the North East to watch their team play Middlesbrough on Saturday. In total, the distance stands at around 170 miles and it will take the travelling Villains close to three hours to get there if they are going via car or coach. By train, the journey involves going from Birmingham New Street to York before swapping on to a service to Middlesbrough.
Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa: Tickets
Middlesbrough are still selling tickets for the FA Cup match against Aston Villa. The sales process has reached the general sale stage which means anyone with an account on the Middlesbrough website is able to purchase any tickets that are still available. Aston Villa were allocated 3,884 tickets for the match at the Riverside and these have all been sold to season ticket holders.
FAQs: Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa
- Who is the referee? The match between Middlesbrough and Aston Villa will be refereed by Robert Jones.
- Who is Aston Villa's top goalscorer? Aston Villa's top goalscorer this season is Ollie Watkins who has scored nine Premier League goals.
- What was Middlesbrough's last result? Middlesbrough lost 3-1 to Coventry City on New Year's Day.
- Who are the favourites? Aston Villa are the favourites at 1/2.
- How big is the Riverside Stadium? The Riverside has a capacity of 34,742.