Championship · 2026

Middlesbrough vs Cardiff City · Championship

vsPre-match analysis

Season

Season averages, with the sample size beside each metric.

Goals scored
21.25
Expected goals
1.931.76
Shots
17.418.8
Possession
60.3%64.6%

30-second read

What the record shows

One pattern stands out in the record: cardiff City's shot volume and the opposing shot-allowance context sit above their competition baselines. The next-strongest reading is weaker: cardiff City's away-only shot average is below their full-season average. Limitation: At least one team lacks a recent completed match near this fixture cutoff.

Cardiff City have a visible away split

weak

Cardiff City's away-only shot average is below their full-season average.

14.5 shots/match ▲ShotsAway only · Season18.8 shots/match
Evidence and caveat

Comparison: Venue-only shot volume is compared with the same team's season record.

Window: away

MetricAway onlySeasonBaseline
Shots14.5 shots/match18.8 shots/match13.2 shots/match

Caveat: Venue splits can reflect opponent mix and should be read with the listed sample.

Cardiff City's recent record differs from the season

weak

Cardiff City's last-five goals scored average is below their season average.

1 goal/match ▲Goals forLast 5 · Season1.25 goals/match
Evidence and caveat

Comparison: An unweighted last-five average is compared with the unweighted season average.

Window: last_5 versus season

MetricLast 5SeasonBaseline
Goals for1 goal/match1.25 goals/match1.33 goals/match

Caveat: Five matches are sensitive to opponent mix and isolated match states.

Cardiff City show a distinct attacking-volume record

moderate

Cardiff City's shot volume and the opposing shot-allowance context sit above their competition baselines.

17.4 shots/match ▲ShotsMiddlesbrough · Cardiff City18.8 shots/match
Evidence and caveat

Comparison: Team shot volume is paired with the opponent's recorded shot allowance.

Window: season

MetricMiddlesbroughCardiff CityBaseline
Shots17.4 shots/match18.8 shots/match13.2 shots/match
Shots against11.8 shots/match12.4 shots/match12.7 shots/match

Caveat: Shot volume describes activity; it does not establish finishing quality or a match outcome.

Metric comparison

Team comparison

Season averages, with the sample size beside each metric.

Where the edge is

Season: Middlesbrough favored in 7 of 13 directional metrics · Cardiff City in 4 · 2 too close

recorded edge higher value (descriptive) too close

Window

Season

Middlesbrough8 matchesCardiff City8 matches
2 goals/match ▲Goals scored8/81.25 goals/match
1.5 goals/matchGoals allowed8/81.5 goals/match
1.93 xG/match ▲Expected goals8/81.76 xG/match
17.4 shots/matchShots8/8▲ 18.8 shots/match
5.13 shots/matchShots on target8/8▲ 6.5 shots/match
60.3%Possession8/8● 64.6%
5.75 corners/matchCorners8/8● 7.75 corners/match
10 fouls/matchFouls8/810.4 fouls/match

History

Head-to-head

Recent meetings between these teams.

Last 5 meetings

4Middlesbrough
1Draws
0Cardiff City
Middlesbrough — Cardiff City · Championship1–1
Cardiff City — Middlesbrough · Championship0–2
Cardiff City — Middlesbrough · Championship1–4
Middlesbrough — Cardiff City · Championship2–0
Cardiff City — Middlesbrough · Championship1–3

Head-to-Head & Recent Meetings

Evidence quality

How much supports this analysis

Grade B · Useful evidenceUseful evidence — limited
Season samples8 / 8home / away teams
Recent samples5 / 5last-five windows
Freshness28 daysstale at cutoff
  • At least one team lacks a recent completed match near this fixture cutoff.

Known unknowns

  • Lineups, injuries, suspensions and tactical changes are not available in the retained dataset.
  • Some metrics are unavailable or below their observation minimum: cards.
  • The nearest completed-match evidence is stale relative to this fixture cutoff.
Analysis cutoff: Sat, 17 Oct 2026, 11:30 UTC · analysis-v4

Team rankings in Championship

Make a graphic from this match

Creator Studio builds a branded post from this match's recorded data, with its evidence grade and source cutoff carried into the export.

Turn this match into a graphicReady-made from PitchMath data · No sign-up required