Tommy Conway and Anfernee Dijksteel struck either side of half-time as Middlesbrough beat QPR 2-1 to edge themselves to within three points of the Sky Bet Championship play-off places.
Conway’s 11th-goal of the season gave the hosts an 11th-minute lead, but they had to wait until 13 minutes after the break for Dijksteel to effectively seal a relatively-routine victory over Rangers, for whom Steve Cook pulled one back with 10 minutes remaining.
Boro, who like the visitors had lost six and won just two of their previous eight games, started on the front foot with Hayden Hackney and Samuel Iling-Junior firing wide from distance.
They took the lead when Finn Azaz found space on the left and crossed low for Conway to get ahead of defender Ronnie Edwards and score.
On-loan Sevilla striker Kelechi Iheanacho was seeing plenty of the ball for the hosts as QPR found themselves pinned back inside their own half for long periods, and it was he who played in Azaz to shoot tamely at goalkeeper Paul Nardi with 23 minutes gone.
Azaz curled a second effort wide of the far post – 14 minutes before the break – with Michael Carrick’s men dominating possession, but Delano Burgzorg should have done better when he skied the ball over seconds later, after being set up by Iling-Junior.
However it took a fine diving save by Nardi to keep out Hackney’s rising drive after makeshift central defender Jonny Howson had burst forward.
Jimmy Dunne had to throw himself into the path of Conway’s 40th-minute strike to prevent Boro from making the most of a four versus three counter-attack.
But the visitors should have been level three minutes before the break when Yang Min-hyeok played full-back Kenneth Paal in, only to see him steer his attempt wastefully wide of Mark Travers’ left post.
Conway only just failed to connect with Iling-Junior’s driven 56th-minute cross after Iheanacho’s shot had been blocked.
But the home side did increase their lead – 13 minutes after the restart – when the bustling Dijksteel worked his way into the box and dispatched a low shot across Nardi and inside the far post.
The visitors enjoyed a sustained period of possession as Boro relaxed and Travers had to palm away substitute Lucas Andersen’s 79th-minute effort.
But the keeper was finally beaten by Cook after fellow defender Dunne had headed the resulting corner back across goal to spark a tense conclusion, during which Nardi headed straight at his opposite number deep into stoppage-time.
[(Strasbourg) Strength]: 1. RC Strasbourg Alsace started with a 1-0 away win over FC Metz in the last Ligue 1 game. Facing FC Nantes in this game, they are motivated to take 3 points.2. RC Strasbourg Alsace were unbeaten with 2 wins and 2 draws in the last 4 games, showing fit form. They secured a 0-0 draw with Brondby IF in the last Conference League match.3. RC Strasbourg Alsace recorded 2 wins,...
[(Juventus FC) Strength]: 1. Juventus FC are undoubtedly motivated to start the new season with a home win in this game.2. Jonathan David scored first in the last warm-up match against Atalanta BC, helping the team secure a win.3. In the last two warm-up games, Juventus FC beat strong Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta BC, showing outstanding form.4. Juventus FC were unbeaten with 4 wins and 1 draw in...
[(AFC Ajax) Strength]: 1. AFC Ajax drew 2-2 with Go Ahead Eagles away from home in the last league match. They have achieved an unbeaten record of one win and one draw in two league games of the new season, maintaining a stable form.2. AFC Ajax's attack has maintained their excellent pre-season form, scoring 11 goals in the last 5 matches, with an average of over 2 goals per game.3. AFC Ajax's hom...
[(Atalanta BC) Strength]: 1. This match is the first round of the new Serie A season. Atalanta BC, playing at home, will strive for a win to get off to a good start, and their fighting spirit is beyond doubt.2. In a recent friendly match against Juventus FC, Lazar Samardzic scored a goal, demonstrating an excellent form.3. Atalanta BC have scored a total of 8 goals and conceded 11 ones in their la...
[(Udinese Calcio) Strength]: 1. Arthur Atta scored the opening goal for the team in the recent Coppa Italia match. He officially joined the club during the offseason, with Udinese Calcio spending 8 million euros to secure his services.2. Udinese Calcio won 2-0 over Carrarese Calcio 1908 in the first Coppa Italia match, welcoming the new season with good performances.3. Udinese Calcio scored 2 goal...
[(Villarreal) Strength]: 1. Villarreal started the new season with an away victory in the opening round, currently sitting near the top of the league table with 3 points. After finishing 5th in La Liga last season and securing a spot in European football, the Yellow Submarine aim to maintain their strong form this campaign. Playing at home in the Estadio de la Ceramica against Girona, the team are...
[(IK Sirius) Strength]: 1. IK Sirius have recently achieved three consecutive victories in all competitions and are in good form. In the last Svenska Cupen match, they defeated Pitea IF 5-0 and advanced to the group stage.[(IK Sirius) Weakness]: 1. IK Sirius currently ranked 12th in the league table. Facing 2nd-placed Hammarby, IK Sirius, who have been performing poorly, have little chance of winn...
[(Osasuna) Strength]: 1. Osasuna lost in the first round of the league and suffered a poor start. This time playing at home, Osasuna will strive for a win to boost morale and are highly motivated.2. Osasuna are strong at home, winning all of their previous four home games.[(Osasuna) Neutral]: 1. Osasuna have scored 6 goals and conceded 8 ones in their last 5 matches. The team's offensive performan...
[(Cagliari) Strength]: 1. Cagliari finished 15th in Serie A last season, taking 36 points, narrowly avoiding relegation by a 5-point lead. In the first home match of the new season, they will face powerhouses ACF Fiorentina. The team are motivated to take home advantage to start with a win.[(Cagliari) Weakness]: 1. Cagliari captain Leonardo Pavoletti will miss the first Serie A round due to his kn...
[(FC Lorient) Strength]: 1. FC Lorient returned to Ligue 1 this season as the champions of France Ligue 2, but lost their first game away from home. This time, they will strive to secure their first win of the season at home, and their desire to win is beyond doubt.2. FC Lorient have performed very strongly at home. Last season, in 17 home games in France Ligue 2, they achieved an impressive recor...
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