Championship Roundup: Middlesbrough Maintain Lead as Late Drama Unfolds Across the League
middlesbrough, Leicester and Millwall all secured hard-fought draws this weekend, ensuring a thrilling start too the Championship season continues.
Middlesbrough remain at the Championship summit, though their perfect start to the season was finally halted in a pulsating 2-2 draw against Preston North End at Deepdale. Twice the visitors had to come from behind,with recent signing sontje Hansen ultimately rescuing a point in a frantic finale.
Lewis Dobbin opened the scoring for Preston in the 22nd minute, capitalizing on space to fire past Luke Ayling. However, Middlesbrough’s persistence paid off in the 72nd minute when Matt Targett expertly volleyed home Tommy Conway’s assist. Just as it looked like Michael Carrick’s side might snatch a late winner, Jordan Storey headed Preston back in front with only two minutes of regulation time remaining. But Hansen, proving his worth, scrambled home a late equaliser to extend Boro’s unbeaten run to six games and secure 13 points from a possible 15. Notably, this result ended a five-game losing streak for Middlesbrough at Preston. Data analysis shows Middlesbrough’s 1.56 xG (expected goals) to Preston’s 0.75 suggests a deserved share of the spoils.
The weekend also saw a dramatic encounter at the Kassam Stadium, were Leicester City battled to a 2-2 draw against Oxford United despite playing for over 45 minutes with ten men. Aaron Ramsey was shown a straight red card on his debut for a reckless challenge, compounding an already difficult situation after Will Lankshear had given Oxford the lead.
Jordan Ayew swiftly levelled the scores, but Leicester’s woes continued when Boubakary Soumare put the ball into his own net. Manager Enzo Maresca turned to his bench at half-time, introducing Ricardo Pereira who made an immediate impact, equalising just ten minutes after the restart.
Millwall continued their impressive form, extending their unbeaten run against Charlton Athletic to a remarkable 13 matches with a 1-1 draw. Sonny Carey’s 40th-minute strike put Charlton ahead, but they were reduced to ten men late on when Kayne Ramsay received his second yellow card. Raees Bangura-Williams capitalized on the numerical advantage, securing a point for Millwall shortly after having a goal disallowed for a handball.
Key Takeaways:
* Middlesbrough remain top of the Championship with 13 points.
* Leicester City’s perfect start was disrupted by a red card and a resilient Oxford United side.
* Millwall’s long-standing dominance over Charlton continues.
* The Championship continues to deliver exciting, unpredictable contests.
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