After dramatically being reinstated to the Championship playoff final after the conclusion of the Spygate saga, Middlesbrough will have to get themselves ready to play at Wembley this weekend. They were unfortunate to lose out to Southampton in extra-time in the semi-final second leg, but Boro have been given a second chance, which they will hope to take advantage of. 

This is a clash between the sides who finished fifth and sixth during the regular season, and they have both proven how strong they can be in the final third. Middlesbrough scored 72 goals this season in 46 regular season matches, while Hull were not too far behind with 70. 

The Tigers also conceded 66 goals, which shows how their games were usually quite open, with chances available at both ends of the field. Even though finals can sometimes be cagey, there is more than enough attacking firepower present in both sides to back goals. 

The first regular season meeting between these sides wasn’t much of a contest - Middlesbrough raced to a 4-0 lead in the first-half, and only one card was shown in the entire match. The reverse fixture was much more competitive, and Hull this time prevailed on their travels. Referee Leigh Doughty was kept busy, as he dished out six yellow cards - four of which went to Hull. 

The Tigers are one of the most aggressive sides when it comes to pressing, and they ranked fifth in the Championship for total fouls committed during the regular season, but that translated to the most yellow cards of any side.

With this being a playoff final at Wembley, the stakes are higher than ever, and that should only raise Hull's intensity. The Tigers are averaging 2.56 cards per game in the league this season, rising to 3.0 when playing away from home. They were shown four bookings against Millwall in the second leg, despite winning 2-0.

Tommy Conway suffered a serious ankle injury against Southampton in the semi-final, which will rule him out this weekend, and that puts a greater attacking burden on Morgan Whittaker in the final third. The 25-year-old is one of the most direct wide players in the Championship, and he was fouled twice against Southampton in the playoff second leg. That means he has landed this selection in three of his last four starts. 

Whittaker likes to carry the ball, and he is adept at drawing contact. He should see even more of the ball now that Conway is injured, and Charlie Hughes will be his primary matchup. Hughes is averaging 1.12 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season, as he often steps out of the back three to be aggressive in his duels, making this an excellent matchup to target Whittaker.

Riley McGree played a massive role for Middlesbrough in the semi-final second leg against Southampton, as he scored his sides’ only goal at St Mary’s Stadium. The Saints then scored the winning goal shortly after McGree was substituted. The Australian international also racked up four shots in the first leg, despite only playing 68 minutes before being substituted, and was unfortunate that none of those hit the target. 

McGree is averaging 2.65 shots per 90 in the Championship this season, which is one of the highest figures in the squad. He is always looking to arrive late in the box to create overloads, or get on the end of second balls at the edge of the box, which makes him a constant threat. 

McGree was injured when these sides last met, but he did get on the scoresheet in the head-to-head tussle before that, so he should be looking forward to this matchup.

Luke Ayling will be a key player for Middlesbrough here, as he brings a wealth of experience at the back. The 34-year-old is averaging 0.92 shots per 90 in the league this season, but he has shown that he can carry a real threat going forward, and that figure has risen significantly in recent weeks. Ayling had two shots against Southampton last time out, including one incredible effort after a solo run which went narrowly wide of the post. He also recorded two shots in the first leg. 

He has registered at least one shot in 12 of his last 13 appearances across all competitions for Middlesbrough, which is an impressive record for a centre back, and he has landed this selection in nine of those matches. The former Leeds man often looks to step out of the back three, and he isn’t afraid to try his luck from distance. 

Adilson Malanda was absent for both head-to-head meetings against Hull this season, but he has been a combative figure at the back for Middlesbrough since coming into the starting eleven. The Frenchman started 20 regular season league games, and he picked up four yellow cards in that time. He was also booked against Southampton last time out for a cynical foul - with the stakes higher than ever at Wembley here, another similar foul could be on the cards. 

The main focus here is on his matchup against Oli McBurnie - the Hull striker is incredibly physical, and is always looking to make life difficult for opposing centre backs. He likes to pin them to draw them out of possession, so they are often forced to bring him down. Malanda isn’t one to shy away from a duel, so that will be a matchup to keep an eye on.

McBurnie has been one of Hull's standout performers across the entire campaign, and he was fouled three times across the two playoff semi-final matches against Millwall. That takes his average to 1.57 fouls drawn per 90 for the season. In addition to that, he has contributed 17 goals and seven assists - a total of 24 goal involvements from 37 appearances this campaign. 

With four goals in his last seven starts, McBurnie has saved some of his best performances for the business end of the campaign, and he will be desperate to finish on a high. He didn’t have much of a role against Middlesbrough in the two head-to-head meetings this season, only featuring briefly off the bench in one of them, but the Scottish international has every reason to be looking forward to this matchup, given how Middlesbrough’s recent form hasn’t been too convincing.