Middlesbrough came within inches of promotion to the Premier League last season after losing out to Hull City in the Championship play off final a few months ago.

They look well prepared for another attempt at earning promotion to the top flight having added to their already impressive squad with the likes of Lankshear and Vitek as key signings.

Middlesbrough only lost five of their 23 home matches in the Championship last season, notably only conceding 18 goals across these games - only Ipswich (17) conceded fewer goals at home than Middlesbrough in the Championship last season.

Lincoln did very well to earn promotion from League One last season but there is a sizeable gap in quality between their squad and the sides expected to be competing at the top of the table in the Championship.

I’d expect any success that Lincoln do get in the Championship this season to be in front of their home fans with Boro notably being the shortest of any side in the EFL to register a victory on the opening weekend.

These sides faced off back in February as Bradford came away 2-0 winners over Peterborough in a really dominant performance.

Bradford registered an xG of 3.79 from 29 shots on that occasion, limiting Peterborough to just four shots and an xG of 0.64. 

Bradford were very tough to beat at home in League One last season, losing just three of their 23 matches in front of their own supporters. 

Bradford only conceded 17 goals across these games, only Stevenage conceded fewer goals than Bradford at home in League One last season (13). 

By contrast, Peterborough really struggled on the road in League One last term - winning just seven of their 23 away games. They didn’t really have a base level of performance to fall back on either, drawing just two of these games and losing 14.

Burton are in crisis, they’ve admitted to 28 FA breaches, lost key players and are the bookies’ favourites to be relegated to League Two.

They host a Stevenage side that finished in the play-offs last season.

It was a huge achievement and they’re unlikely to repeat it, but they’re head and shoulders more reliable than Burton.

Alex Revell has given Stevenage a clear identity, an uncomplicated way of playing which is tough to play against and makes them more than the sum of their parts.

They finished 11 places and 21 points above Burton last season, and the Brewers have only gone backwards this summer.

Stevenage just need to avoid defeat to get this selection up.

York fans were chanting sacked in the morning at new manager Scott Lindsey in his first game in charge.

A 2-0 defeat to his former side Crawley in the League Cup.

York are fancied to go well on their return to the EFL, but they begin the campaign by hosting, second-favourites for the title, Bristol Rovers.

Rovers put together an eight-game winning streak at the back end of last season, as Steve Evans steadied the ship and pushed them into mid table.

He recently took Stevenage from a League Two relegation battle to the cusp of the League One play-offs in a two-year period and he could have a similar impact with the Gas.

It won’t take long for this to get toxic if York don’t start well, and, in Rovers, we should have one of the best teams in the league onside, the bet wins if York don’t win the game.