Exeter City vs Middlesbrough Prediction (31.10.2023)

The EFL Cup is back with the fourth round of action and on Tuesday night, we've got two games taking place. This is one of them, a game featuring two EFL clubs, both no doubt eyeing up a quarter final place, as Exeter from League One host Middlesbrough from the Championship

After a fast start to the season, Exeter were going well, but things have changed a lot recently, and they now find themselves in the bottom half of League One, with no signs of being able to stop the fall down the standings. 17th is where they sit now, and they've not won in their last six games, it's beginning to be a worrying time for them.

They come here on the back of a draw at the weekend, holding Lincoln to a 1-1 tie at home. Before that, they went on a run of five league defeats in a tow, and to make that run worse, they failed to score in four of those five defeats too, something they were doing with ease earlier in the season.

From a dreadful start and fans wondering what lied ahead for the club to a great run of wins and a big leap up the table, it's certainly not been boring for Middlesbrough fans so far this season. Six wins in a row put them firmly back on track, but they were finally beaten at the weekend, and now settle down in 10th position in the Championship table.

It was a 2-0 home loss against Stoke at the weekend, and more like the Boro of old, but it was always going to come, the task now is how to respond. This game is likely to mean changes, but with the team playing so well recently, those haven't been happening, so many players will see this as a chance to stake a claim to be back in the starting line up next weekend.

I'll take Middlesbrough to win this game, despite losing at the weekend. They've turned a corner, are playing some good football, and with a few players probably having a point to prove coming here, I think they can make the long journey down to Exeter worthwhile, by winning and reaching the quarter finals of the EFL Cup.