It’s winner-takes-all at St. Mary’s Stadium as Southampton face Middlesbrough in the second leg of their EFL Championship play-off semi-final.
After a goalless draw at Riverside Stadium on Saturday lunchtime, the tie is poised to be another enthralling encounter.
The incident involving a Southampton staff member allegedly observing Middlesbrough’s training session has created an additional layer of hostility between the two clubs, intensifying emotions ahead of what was already a season-defining encounter.
For Saints, however, the primary focus remains finishing the job at home.
Southampton had to weather a first half storm on Saturday's trip to Teesside, but they are a tough proposition for anyone at their south coast base and can see off Middlesbrough to reach the Championship play-off final.
There was added spice to the first leg due to allegations of Saints sending a member of staff to spy on a Middlesbrough training session, and Boro, perhaps fuelled by a sense of injustice, flew out of the traps and totally dominated the opening half.
By half-time the Teessiders had racked up 17 shots and amassed a 76% share of possession, while Saints had not registered a single shot or had any touches in the opposition penalty area.
However, Boro's superb first half showing went unrewarded and there was almost a sting in the tail as Saints improved after the break and came close to scoring in the 85th minute when Taylor Harwood-Bellis' thumping header cannoned back off the crossbar.
The margins feel incredibly small, and one defensive mistake, one set-piece moment or one individual piece of quality could easily decide who reaches Wembley.
Team News
Mads Roerslev continues to be a long-term absentee for Saints, but there could be space on the bench for club captain Jack Stephens – although he hasn’t featured since April. Kuryu Matsuki returned from injury to come off the bench in the first leg.
For Boro, talisman Hayden Hackney missed the first leg entirely but could be fit enough for the substitute’s bench. However, Alfie Jones and Darragh Lenihan miss out altogether whilst Alex Bangura is a doubt.
Likely Line-Ups
Saints: Peretz; Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Manning; Jander, Downes; Fellows, Azaz, Leo Scienza; Stewart.
Boro: Brynn; Ayling, Fry, Malanda; Brittain, Morris, McGree, Targett; Whittaker, Conway; Strelec.
Key Players
Taylor Harwood-Bellis was almost the hero for Southampton in Saturday’s first leg, but his header crashed off the bar for what would’ve been a smash-and-grab for Saints.
But it was at the other end where the Saints’ stand-in skipper impressed, throwing his body on the line to ensure the visitors’ goal wasn’t breached.
His form at the back has particularly caught the eye as the draw on Teesside made it 20 league games unbeaten for Saints.
Middlesbrough aren’t the sort of side to take a backward step on their travels, and Tommy Conway will hope to play his part in victory on the road.
The 23-year-old forward scored five goals in the last six games of the regular season, and went close on several occasions to breaking the deadlock on Saturday.
That included seeing a low shot come back off the post, as well as an effort from point-blank range blocked by James Bree.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
The game is being played at St. Mary’s Stadium, which has a capacity of 32,384.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 GMT on Tuesday, 12 May.
How can I watch?
The game is televised live on Sky Sports, or highlights will be available to watch shortly after the game on Sky Sports’ YouTube channel.
