Overview
- Kick-off is 3:00pm GMT on Friday, December 26 at the Riverside, live in the UK on Sky Sports+ with streaming via Sky Go and NOW, and available in the U.S. on Paramount+.
- Middlesbrough enter the match in second place after a four-game winning run under Kim Hellberg was halted by a 2-0 defeat at Bristol City.
- Valerien Ismael’s Blackburn snapped a six-match winless spell by beating Millwall 2-0 and sit six points clear of the relegation zone.
- Blackburn are unbeaten in their past 10 away league games at Middlesbrough, though Boro won the most recent league meeting 2-0 in April.
- Boxing Day records contrast sharply as Boro have won nine of their last 11 at home on the date, Blackburn have not won a Boxing Day away game since 2005, and bet365 prices Boro at 4/5 favourites (draw 13/5, Rovers 10/3).