No help from history and familiar system - what Huddersfield Town can expect from Middlesbrough

Huddersfield Town’s promotion push rolls on with a huge game against potential play-off rivals Middlesbrough. Revitalised under Chris Wilder, Boro have become one of the trickier away days in a division full of them. They beat the Terriers comfortably at the John Smith’s Stadium earlier this season too thanks to a Duncan Watmore masterclass.

A tough game ahead then, and it does look the hardest of Town’s remaining fixtures even with a trip to Coventry to come. There is always a but though and that’s the Terriers themselves. Third for a reason, four points from two tough games last week against Luton and QPR, they can go into this on the front foot should they so desire.

So we have a lot to get through in terms of a preview as this is an interesting match. This is likely to live or die on the individual matchups, both teams have had very busy weeks and Good Friday fixtures meaning they will likely rotate. It will probably come down to who shuffles the pack and keeps their level. Let’s get into it then.

Look away Town fans, there is nothing to see here. Literally nothing – Town have never won at the Riverside. They have, in fact, only beaten Boro twice since 1986. Three draws and fourteen defeats in that time mean that there are no omens we can rely on here, Town really just have to play the here and now.

Town’s 2-1 defeat to Boro earlier this season was one of their worst displays of the campaign. It came during their worst spell, November when the wheels didn’t come off but they definitely wobbled. On the day the Terriers were limp in attack and all over the place at the back. That late own goal gave a veneer of respectability to the scoreline it didn’t really deserve.

Boro have been good under Wilder and are genuine