Hull vs Middlesbrough

Hull City vs Middlesbrough Match Summary

Competition

Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs

Match Date

23rd May 2026

Match Time

3:30pm

Venue (City, Stadium)

London, Wembley

Broadcast (TV / Streaming / Radio / Bookmaker Streaming)

Sky Sports Football

Hull City and Middlesbrough meet at Wembley in the Championship Play-Off Final, with a place in the Premier League on the line for both sides.

The Tigers sealed their spot with a dramatic semi-final victory over Millwall, scoring twice in the final 30 minutes to book their trip to the national stadium.

Middlesbrough were handed a reprieve after Southampton were expelled from the play-offs, giving Kim Hellberg's side a second chance at promotion.

Hull have won their last three meetings with Boro in all competitions, though the visitors hold the stronger overall head-to-head record historically.

Hull City vs Middlesbrough Form

Hull City finished sixth in the Championship with 73 points, winning 22 games and scoring 72 goals across the campaign. Oliver McBurnie has been their standout performer, netting 17 times with seven assists. The Tigers averaged around 47% possession, comfortable playing without the ball and striking directly.

Hull went into the end of the season in mixed but ultimately strong form, winning three, drawing two and losing just one of their final six games. A key draw against Leicester and a narrow defeat at Charlton were offset by wins over Birmingham and Norwich, showing resilience and attacking threat. They then stepped up in the play-offs, holding Millwall to a 0-0 draw away from home before delivering a decisive 2-0 away win in the semi-final second leg

Middlesbrough were one of the most dominant ball-playing sides in the division this season, with Morgan Whittaker leading the attack on 14 goals. Tommy Conway chipped in with 13 before his injury. Hayden Hackney has been their creative engine, creating 83 chances over the campaign. Boro have drawn their last three Championship outings.

Middlesbrough went into the end of the season in solid but slightly inconsistent form, losing just once in their final six matches. They picked up impressive wins over Sheffield Wednesday and Watford, including a standout 5–1 victory, while draws against Ipswich and Wrexham showed both resilience and occasional defensive fragility. In the play-offs they kept things tight against Southampton, drawing 0–0 at home before a narrow 2–1 defeat away saw them lose the tie on aggregate. However, despite that setback, they were later reinstated to the final after Southampton were disqualified, adding a dramatic twist to their end-of-season run.

Hull City vs Middlesbrough Lineups & Team News

Hull City

Hull have a mixed injury picture heading into the final, with manager Sergej Jakirovic considering continuity after using a 3-4-2-1 shape in the semi-final win over Millwall. The key focus will be on maintaining attacking balance, with personnel decisions in advanced midfield areas likely to be influenced by fitness and form as they look to fine-tune their Wembley approach.

Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough are boosted by the availability of Cody Drameh and Amir Hadziahmetovic, both of whom are fit and in contention for selection at Wembley, while Hayden Hackney has also recovered enough to be involved, though his role remains uncertain. However, they are without Kyle Joseph and Tommy Conway, who both miss out through ankle injuries, leaving a clear gap in their attacking options heading into the final.

Hull City vs Middlesbrough Predicted Lineup

Hull City

Formation: 3-4-2-1

Predicted Starting Lineup: I. Pandur; C. Hughes, J. Egan, S. Ajayi; R. Giles, A. Hadziahmetovic, R. Slater, L. Coyle; L. Millar, M. Belloumi; O. McBurnie

Middlesbrough

Formation: 3-4-2-1

Predicted Starting Lineup: S. Brynn; A. Malanda, D. Fry, L. Ayling; M. Targett, H. Hackney, A. Morris, C. Brittain; R. McGree, M. Whittaker; D. Strelec

Hull City vs Middlesbrough Key Stats & Match Facts

  • Hull have won their last three matches against Middlesbrough in all competitions, scoring at least two goals in each of those fixtures.
  • There have been over 2.5 goals in Hull's last four meetings with Middlesbrough across all competitions.
  • Middlesbrough have drawn their last three Championship matches, going in level at both half time and full time in each.
  • Mohamed Belloumi has recorded at least one shot on target in eight of his last ten Championship appearances.
  • Morgan Whittaker has attempted three or more shots in four of his last five Championship outings.

Hull City vs Middlesbrough Prediction & Best Bets

Our prediction: Hull City 1-2 Middlesbrough. Boro have looked the stronger squad throughout the season and go into Wembley with plenty of options, even without Tommy Conway. Middlesbrough's ability to control games and generate chances from multiple positions could see them find a way through on the day.

Best Bets

Both Teams to Score at 10/11 with Paddy Power. Over 2.5 goals have landed in the last four head-to-head fixtures between these sides, and both attacks carry a genuine goal threat. Goals at both ends are a reasonable possibility at Wembley.

Morgan Whittaker Anytime Goalscorer at 9/5 with Paddy Power. Whittaker has been Middlesbrough's most consistent outlet all season with 14 goals, and he has recorded at least one shot on target in four of his last five Championship appearances against Hull. He could well be the source of a goal on the Boro side.

Hull City vs Middlesbrough Bet Builder Tips

Our four-leg bet builder combines Charlie Hughes to be carded, Mohamed Belloumi over 0.5 shots on target, Morgan Whittaker over 2.5 shots, and both teams to score at a best price of 12.34/1.

Charlie Hughes has been booked in five of his last eight Championship appearances. In a high-stakes final at Wembley, the centre-back's aggressive streak makes a card a distinct possibility.

Mohamed Belloumi has recorded at least one shot on target in eight of his last ten Championship outings. Playing behind Oliver McBurnie, he consistently gets efforts away on goal.

Whittaker has been Boro's primary attacking outlet all season. His record of attempting three or more shots in four of his last five outings makes the over 2.5 shots line a well-supported selection.

Both teams to score looks a solid addition given the attacking intent shown by both sides throughout the campaign.

At the time of writing, this bet builder pays a best price of 12.34/1 and is as short as 11/1 elsewhere. That's a difference in potential winnings of £13 from best to worst price.

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Bet builder odds correct at time of publishing.