Going into the weekend, Middlesbrough and Plymouth Argyle are both in dire need of three points.
Although Plymouth Argyle has had some recent success, they are still having difficulty avoiding relegation from the Championship.
For Plymouth to have any chance of staying up this season, they must defeat Middlesbrough or at the very least draw.
With four games remaining, the Greens are at the bottom of the division, and based on their campaign-long performance, they should only win one or two more games.
For the most part, Boro’s season has been one to forget for Michael Carrick and company.
While a top-six finish is still highly feasible, Middlesbrough supporters have already given up on promotion.
If the Teessiders win on Friday, they might pass Coventry City; if they lose, an undesirable record would be set.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Diff | Points |
| 5 |  |
42 | 16 | 16 | 10 | 54 | 45 | 9 | 64 |
| 6 |  Coventry |
42 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 59 | 54 | 5 | 63 |
| 7 |  West Brom |
42 | 14 | 18 | 10 | 51 | 39 | 12 | 60 |
| 8 |  Middlesbrough |
42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 61 | 51 | 10 | 60 |
| 9 |  Millwall |
42 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 41 | 41 | 0 | 60 |
| 10 |  Blackburn |
42 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 45 | 45 | 0 |
Middlesbrough in danger of handing record to Plymouth Argyle
Given the significant difference between the two teams in the standings, Middlesbrough ought to be the overwhelming favourite in this match.
However, a victory is by no means assured given Boro’s previous performance, and Plymouth has already shown this season that they are capable of posing a threat to Carrick’s team.
In their most recent meeting, which took place on December 21, 2024, Emmanuel Latte Lath, Jonny Howson, and Hayden Hackney all scored goals for the Reds in a 3-3 draw.
In addition to losing away from home, Boro is beginning to accumulate an unfavourable record versus the Greens at Riverside Stadium.
The North East team has actually lost their last two home games against Plymouth, and a third straight loss would be the away team’s first-ever three-game winning streak against Middlebrough.
Middlesbrough record on Good Friday is a real concern
In addition to Boro’s lack of consistency this season, past results indicate that another defeat on April 18 is probably in the cards.
Over the course of their existence as a club, Middlesbrough has participated in more than 50 Good Friday games.
Sadly, they have the lowest win percentage (21.6 percent) of all 51 teams that have accomplished this feat.
Middlesbrough has a startling 25 losses, 11 wins, and 15 draws. In contrast, Plymouth’s record in their last six games on Good Friday is three victories and three loses.
