Sheffield Wednesday have a platform to build on to avoid equalling unwanted away record vs Middlesbrough
Sheffield Wednesday be hoping to bring their 37-game winless run in the Championship to an end when they face Middlesbrough on Wednesday night.
Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping to extend their unbeaten run to four matches when they face Middlesbrough at the Riverside this evening.
The Owls, who were beaten 1-0 by Boro in front of a virtually empty Hillsborough back in October, equalled their longest unbeaten run of the season on Saturday, coming from behind to earn a point against Charlton Athletic at Hillsborough, drawing 1-1 via a second half leveller from Gabriel Otegbayo.
Unbeaten in their last three games, Wednesday have moved to within three points of escaping a negative points deficit, meaning they are determined to achieve that particular ambition with just three games of the season remaining.
Ahead of their tussle with Kim Hellberg’s side on Teesside, here are five pre-match talking points...
Ingelsson waiting game
With Owls manager Henrik Pedersen not hosting a pre-match press conference, it is hard to gauge exactly how his squad will look for tonight’s game. He did not report any fresh concerns in his post-Charlton press conference, confirming everyone had come through the game unscathed.
However, he was unable to offer a guarantee that Svante Ingelsson could be involved against Boro after he missed the draw with Charlton due to a knee injury that could end up requiring surgery.
“He trained in the morning (Saturday) but we decided we will wait and see,” Pedersen told The Star after the draw with Charlton. “Maybe he can play against Middlesbrough but we take it day-by-day.
“He has some challenges with his knee and we are waiting for the report from the doctor for how it is. Hopefully it is just some small things.”
If Ingelsson does get the green light to be involved in some capacity this evening it would be a fantastic boost for the Owls. However, if he does miss out again, another opportunity may present itself for Olaf Kobacki. Marvelous Nakamba may also be considered to come into the side to make his full Wednesday debut.
Coventry platform
On paper, a trip to fifth-placed Middlesbrough feels like a daunting prospect for a Wednesday side without a win in their last 38 matches in league and cup. However, the same was said ahead of their trip to Coventry City just over a week ago.
Against all odds, Wednesday left the Coventry Building Society Arena with a point in the bag, defending resolutely to secure an unlikely 0-0 draw. Pedersen’s troops dealt with everything the Championship title winners threw at them to record an impressive clean sheet.
No two games are the same, not least in a division as unpredictable in the Championship, but Wednesday should take confidence from their recent clash with Frank Lampard’s side into the tussle with Boro, who have wobbled in recent weeks.
Wednesday, of course, remain determined to get a second win of the season on the board, but another draw on the road would be a respectable result. Additionally, a fourth successive stalemate, for example, would see the Owls extend their unbeaten run to four matches - a sequence that would mark their longest unbeaten run of the campaign.
Palmer set to reach latest landmark
Captain Liam Palmer will go second alongside Jack Brown on Wednesday’s all-time appearance list this evening by making his 507th outing for the club. The defender recently overtook Alan Finney’s tally of 504 Wednesday appearances and is now on the cusp of matching Brown’s tally.
Making his debut back in 2010, the Wednesday stalwart has been a staple in Pedersen’s thinking this term, appearing in all but one of the Owls’ first 43 Championship matches. With that in mind, he should move up to outright second on Wednesday’s all-time appearance list when the Owls travel to Oxford United on Saturday.
Andrew Wilson remains the club’s all-time appearance maker with 546 outings for the Owls.
A big night for Boro
Following Sunday’s 2-2 draw with fellow promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town at Portman Road, Middlesbrough head into tonight’s game winless in their last seven matches and on a run of just two wins in their last 12. After climbing to the Championship summit with a 2-1 win at Sheffield United on February 9, Boro are not yet assured of a play-off place.
Although Hellberg’s troops’ results have nosedived in recent weeks, their performances, by all accounts, have still been encouraging. However, they have lacked a killer touch inside the final third, wasting a countless number of chances.
Six points behind second-placed Millwall, Boro know anything less than a win tonight will almost certainly end their automatic promotion aspirations. Beaten 2-1 by the Lions on Good Friday, Boro are also winless in their last six at home, losing each of their last two.
With Hellberg refusing to underestimate Wednesday, he will be hoping his players deliver the goods on a night of such significance. A victory would all but seal a play-off place due to their superior goal difference in comparison to those in the chasing pack.
Owls can equal unwanted away record
Although Wednesday will be hoping to build on their recent draw at Coventry and hinder Middlesbrough’s promotion ambitions, the prospect of a first defeat in four games being inflicted on them this evening will mark a 16th Championship away defeat of the season for Pedersen’s troops.
The Owls, on two previous occasions, have lost 16 away games in a second tier season, previously setting that unwanted record in 1946/47 and as recently as 2020/21.