Goals and Highlights: Middlesbrough 2-1 Oxford United in EFL Championship

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Middlesbrough came from behind to take all three points and boost their play-off hopes. This result is a blow for Oxford in their fight to avoid relegation. The visitors let slip a victory, which they had in their pocket during the first half of the game.

Five minutes of extra time will be played at the Riverside Stadium and Oxford will be condemned to a very complicated end of the season. Middlesbrough is looking to extend the score, let's see if the visitors can pull off a miracle and tie it.

An infringement was signaled in favor of the away side after a late tackle by Middlesbrough's Morgan Whittaker on Oxford rival Will Vaulks and the ball will move in favor of the Yellows.                   

Samuel Iling-Junior sends in a low cross from the left, and Neto Borges smashes the ball into the corner for his first goal for the home club.

A major blow for Oxford, now trailing after leading at halftime, and suddenly the prospect of relegation seems imminent.

Offside for Oxford after a through ball from Tyler Goodrham to the team's goal scorer, Mark Harris, but the central referee of the match disallowed the play for the visiting team in this match.                                                          

Middlesbrough still can't score a second goal, they have 3 shots in the second half. Oxford is standing up well tactically and is holding on to the result knowing that in a counter attack they can generate danger and score another goal for more peace of mind.

Strong pressure from Oxford United pressed to score the first goal of the game and first Will Vaulks came on again with a shot from outside the box on the left side and then Stanley Mills was also presented with a chance that went wide.

Middlesbrough look for the winning goal.

Jonny Howson fires a free kick on the edge of the box for Hayden Hackney, but his shot goes narrowly over the bar.               

Now it is Middlesbrough who take possession of the ball looking to increase the lead on the scoreboard, however they are not efficient in attack and have failed to generate danger in the visiting area. So far they have registered one total shot that has not been on target.

Few novelties in Riverside. Back and forth game where neither team has managed to generate danger in attack, many passes from one side to the other in the defensive zone and past midfield they can't find space to score.

Middlesbrough equalized very quickly in this second half, thanks to Kelechi Iheanacho who scored his first goal for the club. The crowd explodes and now everything is even.          

After halftime, we come to the complementary part of the match between Middlesbrough vs Oxford United live and in real time, corresponding to the EFL Championship. Everything will be defined in the next 45 minutes.

Leading at the break!

🔴🟡 #OUFC | HT: 0 - 1 pic.twitter.com/YXgfS7e7Lq — Oxford United (@OUFCOfficial) March 29, 2025

Middlesbrough almost scored, after counterattacking. Finn Azaz set up Kelechi Iheanacho in the box and the ball bounced before falling at his feet, but the shot hits the crossbar!        

A goal that gives Oxford hope of survival in the Championship.

The Yellows throw a ball into the box and Mark Harris passes to Michal Helik about 16 yards out, who shoots into the top corner and scores.

Direct attacking free kick shot by Hayden Hackney in favor of Middlesbrough. The ball doesn't take a good fate and goes over the visitors' goal. The home side can't find a way to score.                      

Middlesbrough 75%

Oxford United 25%

Foul in favor of Oxford after a frustrated advance by Rúben Rodrigues on the right flank and had to be stopped by his opponent. The ball belongs to the visitors.                  

Few novelties in Riverside. Back and forth game where neither team has managed to generate danger in attack, many passes from one side to the other in the defensive zone and past midfield they can't find space to score.

Middlesbrough tries to open the scoring and Finn Azaz, who has 11 league assists, passes to Delano Burgzorg in the box, but his cross is cleared by Ciaron Brown.              

Direct offensive free kick shot by Neto Borges in favor of Middlesbrough. The ball doesn't take a good fate and goes to the end line over the visitors' goal.                                

Oxford are looking lively early on here!

Przemysław Płacheta gets on the end of a brilliant Matt Phillips cross and fires in a low effort at the far post but Bournemouth loanee Mark Travers is down well to save for Boro.

Oxford United's Ciaron Brown makes the first approach of the match, after firing a shot on goal in the second minute of play. The ball did not have a good destination, but it showed the visitor's interest.

The ball is rolling and the match between Middlesbrough vs Oxford United live in real time, corresponding to the EFL Championship. Who will be the winner this afternoon?.                               

Middlesbrough has a 59% chance of winning, while their opponent Oxford United has an 18% chance, and there is a 24% chance of the match ending in a draw.                         

In the last 7 meetings, FC Middlesbrough have won 5 times, there have been 2 draws and Oxford United have won 0 times. The goal difference is 20-8 in favor of FC Middlesbrough.

Did you know that FC Middlesbrough score 25% of their goals between minutes 76-90.

In their last five matches, Middlesbrough has managed one win, recorded one draw, and suffered three defeats. In contrast, Oxford won one game, drew once, and lost on three occasions.

In the league standings, Middlesbrough has a 12-point lead over Oxford and a superior goal difference: +9 versus -16.

It is also worth noting that in almost all recent matches, Middlesbrough scores two goals or less per game, which leads to the recommendation to consider betting on Middlesbrough's Individual Total being less than 2.0 at odds of 1.55.

On location 📍 pic.twitter.com/2oNgvb5rba — Oxford United (@OUFCOfficial) March 29, 2025

🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/Ic3nj2dPPC — Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) March 29, 2025

In December 2024, the club made the decision to dismiss coach Des Buckingham due to a series of negative results that left the team on the brink of the relegation zone. Shortly thereafter, on December 20, 2024, Gary Rowett was appointed as the new coach.

Under the technical direction of Michael Carrick, the team has shown moments of brilliance, but has also faced difficulties in maintaining a consistency that would allow them to aspire to promotion.               

Welcome to live coverage of Middlesbrough vs Oxford United in the EFL Championship. We start with the pre-match preview time.                                         

In a few moments we will share with you the starting lineups for the Middlesbrough vs Oxford United live match, as well as the latest information from the stadium. Don't miss a single detail of the Middlesbrough vs Oxford United match live with VAVEL's comments.

The match between Middlesbrough vs Oxford United will  be broadcast live on SkySports.
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Argentina: 11:00 a.m. 
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📈 It's getting tight at the top!#EFL | #SkyBetChampionship pic.twitter.com/wmjZYXMNzG — Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) March 15, 2025

As the season draws to a close, Oxford United find themselves in an awkward position in the Championship table, sitting in 18th place, which puts them close to the relegation zone and has caused concern among fans and the club's board. In December 2024, the club took the decision to sack manager Des Buckingham due to a series of negative results that left the team on the brink of the relegation zone. Shortly thereafter, on December 20, 2024, Gary Rowett was appointed as the new manager.

Middlesbrough is in eighth place in the Championship, with 15 wins, 9 draws and 14 defeats, accumulating a total of 54 points. The team has scored 57 goals and conceded 48, reflecting a positive goal difference of +9. Middlesbrough Football Club has had a challenging campaign in the EFL Championship during the 2024-2025 season. Under the technical direction of Michael Carrick, the team has shown moments of brilliance, but has also faced difficulties in maintaining a consistency that would allow them to challenge for promotion.

The EFL Championship 2023-2024 was the 20th edition of the second tier of English soccer. Twenty-four teams participated in this season, with 18 teams coming from the previous season, and 6 teams arriving from other leagues: 3 relegated from the Premier League and 3 promoted from League One.
The format of the tournament included a regular phase in which the teams played each other in a two-round league system. The top two finishers at the end of the season earned direct promotion to the Premier League, while the teams in third through sixth place played in the playoffs for the third promotion.

Winning the EFL Championship is extremely important because it secures promotion to the Premier League, one of the most competitive and lucrative leagues in the world. The winning team reaps massive financial rewards, with promotion earnings of around $209 million, making the final the most expensive game in the sporting world.
This financial prize includes increases for television rights and sponsorship, which can transform a club financially, giving it the opportunity to invest in better players and infrastructure.

The stadium has a capacity of approximately 34,742, making it one of the largest stadiums in the North East of England. Its design is modern and functional, with excellent visibility from all stands and a vibrant atmosphere, especially at key Middlesbrough matches. Since its inauguration, the Riverside has witnessed great moments in Middlesbrough's history, including their time in the Premier League and the historic 2005-06 UEFA Cup campaign, where the team reached the final. It has also hosted England international matches and other sporting events.

It has a capacity of approximately 34,742 spectators, making it one of the largest stadiums in the northeast of England. Its design is modern and functional, with excellent visibility from all stands and a vibrant atmosphere, especially at key Middlesbrough matches.

Hello everyone! Welcome to the Middlesbrough vs Oxford United live stream, valid for match day 35 of 2024-2025 EFL Championship.
My name is Esteban Monsalve and I will be your host for this match. We will offer you pre-match analysis, score updates and live news, here on VAVEL.