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Championship play-off first legs can occasionally be tight and cagey affairs, but this is a clash between two sides who have been in excellent form recently, and they will want to get off to a strong start. 

Southampton have been one of the most exciting teams to watch in the Championship, and they are unbeaten in any of their last 19 league matches. The Saints scored 82 goals in their 46 league matches - only table-toppers Coventry scored more, which shows the threat they can pose going forward. Tonda Eckert's men are unlikely to sit back and play for a draw at the Riverside Stadium.

Middlesbrough’s form hasn’t been as strong, but they ended the campaign on a high. They drew 2-2 against Wrexham after thrashing Watford 5-1 on home turf. With 72 goals scored from their 46 league games, Middlesbrough aren’t a side to underestimate in the final third.

After beating Preston 3-1 on the final day of the Championship, Southampton leapfrogged Middlesbrough to finish 4th, so the first leg of this play-off semi-final will take place at the Riverside Stadium. The Saints come into this clash in better form, but Middlesbrough will fancy their chances of securing a positive result in front of their home crowd here, especially considering they won 4-0 in this fixture earlier in the season.

However, a lot has changed for Southampton since that defeat - it was early on in Tonda Eckert’s tenure, and he has since strung together an unbeaten run of 19 league matches. The Saints also made it far in the FA Cup, and were recently eliminated by Man City after losing 2-1 at Wembley. Southampton scored 82 league goals from their 46 matches this season, 2nd only to champions Coventry, and they are unlikely to sit back and accept a draw this weekend.