Middlesbrough 0-2 Ipswich Town Highlights as Boro comfortably beaten in rather flat performance

This one has dwindled out to an undramatic conclusion, however.

Difference between the two sides today has ultimately been in the two boxes. Ipswich score two from three shots on target, while Boro have rally lacked a cutting edge. Not linked well in attack today, with the makeshift nature of the side telling.

Engel with a good ball whipped medium height with pace into the box. Woolfenden touches it with his head towards his own goal and Hladky has to make an excellent reaction stop.

Barlaser swings a free-kick in from Boro’s left and Latte Lath again in the crowd somehow wins the header. Hladky has to make a good save to deny him

From Boro’s left, Barlaser swings one in and it’s dipping in under the crossbar before Hladky gets an important touch to tip it over.

Still not quite getting it right in the final third but fans right behind them. Decent attack sees Engel pull on back from the left and Rogers sets Crooks but his shot is deflected behind for a corner.

Before that though, they had the chance to break and it was two on two but Crooks felt the need to come back and slow it down. Ipswich very quickly had ten men behind the ball.

Back under way with both sides unchanged

It’s going to be the same XI starting again in this second half.

Boro behind at the break then but, considering their nine absentees, they’ve competed well here. Really tight game, but Boro started brightly until Ipswich took the sting out of the game. Another rather self-inflicted goal from nothing is the only major shot they’ve conceded. At the other end, no shots on target as they’ve just lacked that final killer pass.

Boro behind at the break. Not many, but a few rather harsh boos as the whistle goes.

Added time. Ipswich wasting time, to the frustration of Boro fans. a compliment too, I guess.

He gets it from a wide left position and is invited to run inside. From the edge of the box he looks to bend one into the bottom corner. Hladky is beaten, but it’s inches wide.

After a great start to the game, Boro just slightly losing their edge in the final third now. Sloppy passes creeping in and cheaply giving away possession. They still look solid right now defensively. But that early spark in attack has gone.

He’s won just about every header so far up against 6ft 4in Luke Woolfenden who looks almost twice the size of him. Latte Lath’s leap is quite something. Only once have Boro had someone close enough to profit from his flicks, however.

Neither keeper has had anything to do. The sting has gone a little from the game, with Ipswich staying compact. Boro enjoying more of the ball and territory but yet to find a way through. Intriguing contest so far, albeit one with next to no goalmouth action yet.

Really tight opening to this one but Boro just about looking the better of the two sides so far. Morgan Rogers has started brightly. Some really nice touches and runs from him so far.

Right into Ipswich from the off. No sign of any tactical surprises. Usual style. One good break there as Engel advanced up the left and his inside ball was touched on really well by Rogers who was so close to getting by his marker on the end of it. Positive start.

It’s Sam Greenwood who starts on the right, with Rogers on the left. As expected, Rvd Berg is right-back

Ipswic have sold out their allocation, atmopshere is building, hopefully we have a game befitting!

• Boro are unbeaten in their last seven league games against Ipswich (five wins), last losing in December 2014
• Ipswich are winless in their last seven trips to Boro too, and have scored only once in those seven games too (that coming in a 3-1 Boro win in August 2010 when Roy Keane was boss
• Boro have won five of their last six at the Riverside, keeping clean sheets in each of the last four wins here
• Ipswich lost the last time they played away (2-0 to West Brom), but have never lost successive away league games under Kieran McKenna
• Ipswich will set a club record for their best start in any of England’s top four tiers if they win today. Three points would take them to 48 points from 20 games, a total they’ve never previously amassed

What a game to make his return for. Born just outside of Ipswich, he was part of their academy from the age of seven and worked his way up through the club right to the first team. He would make five appearances before leaving for Portsmouth.

It’s four changes for Boro today with Fry, Clarke, Engel and Greenwood in for Dijksteel, McNair, Bangura and Jones.

Great to have Fry back from the hamstring injury which has kept him out of the last two. Clarke makes his first start since October 1, 2022. Bangura the only one dropping out to still be in the squad with McNair injured and Dijksteel and Jones suspended. That means left-footed 18-year-old midfielder AJ Bridge makes the bench along with fellow prospects Fin Cartwright and Law McCabe.

Expect Rav van den Berg to go back to right back. Will be interesting to see out of Rogers and Greenwood, who is right and who is left.

How the visitors line-up today, with ex-Boro man Sam Morsy captaining the Tractor Boys

Around ten minutes until we get that Boro team news. The big question, of course, is which, if any players are able to return today? We’ve spotted Dael Fry arriving with what looked a boot bag. If he is back in the squad, is he capable of going straight back into the line-up? Will be a huge boost for Boro if he is able to start, and will make the reshuffling a lot less impactful.

If Fry can’t start, you’re looking and thinking the most realistic option is to push Jonny Howson to right-back, and that would likely means Matt Crooks has to then drop to centre midfield. So a lot rests on who, if anyone, does return today.

Via Grosvenor Sport:

• Middlesbrough – 11/8
• Draw – 13/5
• Ipswich – 7/4

This video from the club of the players arriving clearly shows Dael Fry, and he appears to have a boot bag with him. That’ll be a huge boost for Boro if he is back today. Would make a big difference to how the team looks

Remember there’s a collection taking place outside of the ground ahead of kick-off today. Non-perishable food for the Foodbank, boots, astroturf trainers and winter jackets for the Michael Carrick Foundation and also toys for the Salvation Army all appreciated.

Both ex-Boro midfielder Massimo Luongo and Manchester United loanee Brandon Williams picked up their fifth yellow cards of the season in last weekend’s win over Coventry City, and will therefore both miss today’s game.

Luongo had a short spell at Boro last year without making a single appearance before going on to become a key player at Ipswich in their midfield alongside fellow ex-Boro man Sam Morsy.

Williams, meanwhile, was coached by Carrick and linked with a summer move to Boro, albeit with sources telling Teesside Live at the time he wasn’t a legitimate target.

Middlesbrough could be without up to ten players for this game.

Anfernee Dijskteel and Isaiah Jones will be missing through suspension, while there are eight players currently injured, of which only Paddy McNair, Dael Fry and Hayden Hackney are thought to have a chance of making today’s squad. All three remain doubts though, with Carrick set to have to reshuffle his pack this afternoon.

Team news comes at 2 pm and it will be interesting to see how that Boro XI looks.

Ahead of this game we took a look at the fascinating tactical battle we could see today against two sides who play in a very similar way.

Interestingly, given the two sides contrasting fortunes, Boro are actually outperforming Ipswich in numerous statistics such as average possession, passes completed and tackles won.

But when it comes to the most important numbers – goals scored, goals conceded, points won – Ipswich are way and above Boro. Our detailed match preview is here:

While neither manager particularly likes to be the centre of attention, there is no doubt that a huge subplot for today’s game is the reunion of Carrick and McKenna.

The former Manchester United assistant coaches to Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did a lot of learning together early in their coaching careers. Now in their first head coach roles, they face off for the first time.

In the build-up, both have spoken of their massive respect for one another, but come kick-off there will be no favours with both wanting those three points.

Hello and welcome to today’s match-day live blog.

Boro taking on Ipswich Town today – a tough game, but one that comes with Boro in strong home form having lost just one of their last six at the Riverside.

Stick with us right here throughout the afternoon for all the build-up, team news and then action from the game.