EFL Championship · Matchday 1

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 14:00:00 UTCRiverside StadiumMatchday 1

Pre-match win probability — Pulse estimate

Middlesbrough 39%Draw 34%Lincoln City 27%

Pulse model at kickoff, scaled by each side's scoring rate in this competition's own table. An estimate, not a betting market.

Match stats

MiddlesbroughLincoln City
76Possession24
2.23Expected goals (xG)0.57
23Shots10
7Shots on target2
8Shots off target4
8Blocked shots4
14Shots inside box7
9Shots outside box3
5Corners5
0Offsides4
12Fouls12
0Yellow cards2
0Red cards0
0Saves5
629Passes185
555Accurate passes106
88Pass accuracy57

Match events

  • 12'Adam Reach (assist Tendayi Darikwa)
  • 36'Frederick Draper
  • 59'Frederick Draper Isaac Olaofe
  • 59'Dominic Jefferies Rob Street
  • 62'Will Lankshear
  • 63'Leo Castledine Myles Peart-Harris
  • 63'Abdoulaye Kanté Riley McGree
  • 63'Neto Borges Maximilian Arfsten
  • 71'Kyle Joseph Jeremy Sarmiento
  • 71'Benjamin House Reeco Hackett-Fairchild
  • 89'Isaac Olaofe
  • 90'Morgan Whittaker Alfie Jones
  • 90'Tendayi Darikwa Andrei Coubiș
  • 90'Adam Reach Tom Bayliss
  • 90'Will Lankshear (assist Riley McGree)

Middlesbrough · Lincoln City

Starting XI · as it playedRatings are a Pulse estimate

Middlesbrough4-3-3
126.8Ayling
26.8Brittain
116.890'Whittaker
66.8Berhalter
226.871'Joseph
306.863'Borges
296.8Malanda
196.863'Castledine
16.8Vítek
426.863'Kanté
78.8Lankshear
Lincoln City2-6-2
37.390'Reach
146.3McGrandles
27.190'Darikwa
226.3Hamer
66.3Towler
166.359'Jefferies
186.371'House
256.3Elerewe
346.059'Draper
16.1Wickens
246.3Varfolomieiev

Lineups — ratings are a Pulse estimate

Middlesbrough

  • 12Luke Ayling6.8
  • 2Callum Brittain6.8
  • 11Morgan Whittaker6.8
  • 6Sebastian Berhalter6.8
  • 22Kyle Joseph6.8
  • 30Neto Borges6.8
  • 29Adilson Malanda6.8
  • 19Leo Castledine6.8
  • 1Radek Vítek6.8
  • 42Abdoulaye Kanté6.8
  • 7Will Lankshear8.8

Lincoln City

  • 3Adam Reach7.3
  • 14Conor McGrandles6.3
  • 2Tendayi Darikwa7.1
  • 22Tom Hamer6.3
  • 6Ryley Towler6.3
  • 16Dominic Jefferies6.3
  • 18Benjamin House6.3
  • 25Deji Elerewe6.3
  • 34Frederick Draper6.0
  • 1George Wickens6.1
  • 24Ivan Varfolomieiev6.3
MiddlesbroughTale of the tapeLincoln City
4-3-3Formation2-6-2
10 ptsTable5 pts
+3Goal difference-2
1Head-to-head wins0
39%Pre-match odds27%

Head to head1 previous meeting

Middlesbrough 1W0D0W Lincoln City

Goals 21

  • 2026-08-15Middlesbrough21Lincoln City

Seasons searched: 2025-2026, 2026-2027.

This seasonother meeting

Where they standIn a 24-team table

TeamPWDLGDPts
Middlesbrough5311+310
Lincoln City5122-25
Middlesbrough v Lincoln City — EFL Championship | Factlen