Tommy Conway had the pick of the chances for Middlesbrough in the first leg, and he was the one who struck the woodwork for his side. He was completely open in the box, but his effort only struck the inside of the post - he probably should have done better in the end, and Conway will know that. He had another big chance which was blocked, while his other two attempts managed to find the target, so he will feel his performance warranted a goal.

The striker tends to pop up in promising positions in and around the box, and he has scored 13 league goals this season from 46 appearances. He ended the regular season on a high, scoring against Wrexham on the final day, after bagging a brace against Watford, so he is a player full of confidence at the moment. 

Flynn Downes returned from his three-match suspension for the first leg of the playoff semi-final, and he wasted no time in making his presence felt. The midfielder recorded two fouls and was carded during that match, before being replaced after 69 minutes, which shows how difficult it was for Middlesbrough in midfield areas. Downes partnered Caspar Jander in the double pivot, who also finished the game with three fouls.

Downes is averaging 1.93 fouls per 90 in the Championship this season, which is one of the highest figures in the Southampton squad, and he has been booked 13 times from his 37 league appearances. He is a very combative player in the heart of midfield, and Downes should find duels against Aidan Morris again here - the USA international was fouled three times in the first leg, taking his average to 2.62 fouls draw per 90 for the season.

The first leg ended as a goalless stalemate, which is unexpected given how attack-minded both sides have been throughout the season. Middlesbrough were the dominant side at the Riverside Stadium, registering a total of 21 shots and six big chances worth 1.81 xG, but they were wasteful in the final third. With that being said, Boro did come incredibly close, and they were denied by the woodwork. Southampton had to dig in at times, but the Saints improved after the break and came close to stealing an advantage themselves late on - this time Taylor Harwood-Bellis hit the crossbar. 

Southampton should be much more front-footed at St Mary's here, which makes goals a target. Tonda Eckert's men have been one of the most prolific attacking sides in the Championship this season, with 82 league goals from their 46 regular season matches. Over 2.5 goals has also landed in nine of Middlesbrough’s last ten away matches. 

There were 12 corners in the first leg, and Middlesbrough landed this selection on their own by contributing 11 of those. Southampton only added one to the tally, but they should be much more progressive on home turf here, especially considering there is still everything to play for. 

Southampton are averaging 5.64 corners per game in the league this season, rising to 6.26 at St Mary's, where they usually play with a lot more attacking intent. In fact, they recorded six corners against Middlesbrough when these sides met on the south coast back in September. 

Middlesbrough are averaging an impressive 6.91 per game in the league, which is the highest figures in the league. They both like to utilise width when they attack, and with the tie still hanging firmly in the balance, corners are a target once again.