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Championship predictions

Published:
Alex HiltonAlex Hilton
Southampton ended the regular season in fine form under Tonda Eckert
Southampton ended the regular season in fine form under Tonda Eckert
  • Hull head to Millwall on Monday evening for the second leg of their play-off semi-final

  • Southampton welcome Middlesbrough to St Mary's on Tuesday, with it all to play for in their second meeting 

The Championship play-offs continue this week with four teams in the hunt to join Coventry and Ipswich in the Premier League next season.

The first legs took place over the weekend, with Millwall drawing 0-0 at Hull on Friday, while Southampton's trip to Middlesbrough also ended goalless.

Hull head to south London on Monday evening for their decider with the Lions, while Saints will host Boro in their second leg 24 hours later and we have a score prediction for each encounter.

Millwall vs Hull  (Monday, 8pm)

Hull won 3-1 on their last visit to the Den in December, but the Tigers have looked particularly toothless in recent weeks and it is hard to see them recreating a similar outcome in this deciding leg of their Championship play-off semi-final with Millwall.

City are unbeaten in four visits to this venue but they will need a huge lift in performance levels to extend that sequence as they limped into the play-offs following a poor run of form.

Hull have won only two of their last nine matches and they were largely dominated by Millwall in the opening leg at the MKM Stadium on Friday.

Alex Neil's side garnered 61.5 per cent of the possession but could not do a lot with it, managing just two shots on target and six that missed the goal.

The Lions were unlucky to have a goal ruled out for offside, while they also hit the post, but in front of their own fans they are likely to finish the job this week.

Neil's men have won 13 of their 23 home matches in the Championship this season, and they have kept four clean sheets in their last six matches.

Four of their last six meetings with Hull have featured just one goal or fewer so backing a 1-0 home win looks the best course of action in what could be a cagey affair in south London.

Score prediction: Millwall 1-0 Hull

Southampton vs Middlesbrough (Tuesday, 8pm)

This contest has been dominated by the spygate affair, which has seen Southampton charged by the EFL for allegedly spying on a Middlesbrough training session in the run-up to the first leg on Saturday, and although tensions were high off the pitch, the match failed to live up to expectations with a 0-0 finish.

Saints will be happier with that outcome as they were largely dominated by Boro, who had 63.5 per cent possession, which they turned into 15 shots, five of which were on target.

The visitors failed to get a shot on the Boro goal and their sheepish performance was perhaps a by-product of their off-field antics and the determination of the home side to keep them out.

Things are likely to be much different at St Mary's in the second leg on Tuesday when Southampton are fancied to continue their good form with a lively victory over Middlesbrough.

Saints are unbeaten in 20 Championship outings and they lost three of their 23 home matches in the Championship regular season this term.

Hull were the last side to conquer Tonda Eckert's men on the south coast way back in January and it is hard to see a successful outcome for the visitors who haven't won on the road since the beginning of March.

A 2-1 home win looks like a solid selection as both teams have scored in four of their last six meetings.

Score prediction: Southampton 2-1 Middlesbrough

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