Middlesbrough Bounce Back To Form With Leicester Success
Middlesbrough ended a run of four games without a win in the EFL Championship with a stunning victory away from home at runaway league leaders Leicester City.
‘Boro had won only once in the league since the turn of the year with a 3-1 win at Millwall back on 13 January, with the only other victory in 2024 being the fine 1-0 success against Chelsea in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final.
That left Michael Carrick’s side seven points away from the play-off places heading to the King Power Stadium to face a Leicester side that was twelve points clear at the top on the back of four successive wins.
The return fixture at the Riverside had seen ’Boro take a 1-0 win thanks to a late Sam Greenwood strike, but it was Leicester who had the better of the early play – with Jannik Vestergaard heading just wide at the back post when unmarked.
Patson Daka then misjudged another header as he failed to get an effort on target when well-placed and the away side made them pay on the break as Lewis O’Brien broke away down the left and had his choice of players racing through the centre.
Choosing to play the ball square to Finn Azaz, he duly clipped it past the ‘keeper for his second goal in as many games.
Things got even better little more than ten minutes later, when Riley McGree played the ball forward to Sam Silvera, who beat his man before rifling a shot beyond Mads Hermansen to double the lead.
The introduction of Jamie Vardy saw Leicester start to create chances after the break, although the former England forward missed a great chance to get one back before Vestergaard also blasted over from inside the box.
Vardy eventually managed to beat Tom Glover in the ‘Boro goal to half the deficit but the away side held on to secure a vital three points that leaves them six points off the play off places but with a game in hand.