Middlesbrough 3-1 Queens Park Rangers: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Middlesbrough beat Queens Park Rangers 3-1 in a solid home win. The game started evenly, but Boro took control when David Strelec scored in the 30th minute, assisted by Hayden Hackney, and Morgan Whittaker added another six minutes later with help from Sol Brynn. Riley McGree picked up a yellow card shortly after, but Middlesbrough kept pushing forward, building on their recent run of three straight league wins before this match.

Tommy Conway extended the lead early in the second half with a penalty in the 50th minute, making it 3-0 and seemingly putting the game out of reach. Queens Park Rangers pulled one back through Nicolas Madsen’s penalty in the 70th minute, showing some fight after a mixed recent form with two wins and a loss in their last three outings. Despite late substitutions from both sides, Boro held on comfortably, continuing their strong push up the table.

Middlesbrough dominated possession with nearly two-thirds of the ball, which helped them create more chances, as shown by their ten corners compared to QPR’s four, and they were more effective in beating defenders with successful dribbles. The home side also recorded a couple of assists while QPR had none, underlining Boro’s sharper attacking play, though both teams converted a penalty each and kept discipline tight with just one yellow card for Middlesbrough and none for the visitors.

Both sides used all five substitutions, with Boro making changes around the hour mark like Alex Gilbert replacing Riley McGree and Kaly Sène coming on for David Strelec at 64 minutes, followed by Delano Burgzorg for Tommy Conway at 65, Sam Silvera for Morgan Whittaker at 83, and Micah Hamilton for Hayden Hackney in stoppage time. QPR responded similarly, bringing on Steve Cook for Jake Clarke-Salter and Karamoko Dembélé for Koki Saito at 60 minutes, Esquerdinha for Rhys Norrington-Davies at 61, Michael Frey for Richard Kone at 72, and Kieran Morgan for Amadou Salif Mbengue at 78, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide.

The match turned decisively in Middlesbrough’s favour before half-time, with David Strelec opening the scoring at 30 minutes after a neat assist from Hayden Hackney, followed quickly by Morgan Whittaker’s goal at 36 minutes set up by Sol Brynn. Riley McGree’s yellow card at 32 minutes was a minor hiccup for Boro, but Tommy Conway’s penalty conversion at 50 minutes put them firmly in control at 3-0.

Queens Park Rangers got a lifeline with Nicolas Madsen’s penalty at 70 minutes, but their efforts were hampered despite substitutions like Steve Cook replacing Jake Clarke-Salter and Karamoko Dembélé coming on for Koki Saito around the 60-minute mark. Boro’s own changes, such as Alex Gilbert for Riley McGree and Kaly Sène for David Strelec at 64 minutes, helped maintain their dominance through to the end.

Middlesbrough lined up in a 4-2-2-2 shape that allowed them to control the midfield and push forward effectively, with Hayden Hackney playing a key role in assisting David Strelec’s opener and linking play. Morgan Whittaker and Tommy Conway formed a dangerous attacking partnership, both finding the net, while Sol Brynn contributed from the back with an assist for Whittaker’s goal. Substitutes like Alex Gilbert, Kaly Sène, Delano Burgzorg, Sam Silvera and Micah Hamilton added fresh legs late on to see out the win.

Queens Park Rangers set up in a 4-4-2 formation that aimed for balance but struggled against Boro’s possession, with Nicolas Madsen stepping up to score their only goal from the penalty spot. The midfield and defence saw changes like Steve Cook replacing Jake Clarke-Salter, Karamoko Dembélé for Koki Saito, and Esquerdinha for Rhys Norrington-Davies around the hour to try and spark a comeback. Forwards such as Richard Kone, replaced by Michael Frey, and Amadou Salif Mbengue, who made way for Kieran Morgan, pushed for more but couldn’t break through consistently.

Coral’s Man of the Match goes to Morgan Whittaker, who shone for Middlesbrough with his goal in the first half, creating one big chance and delivering two key passes that kept the attack flowing. His contributions were vital in building Boro’s lead, showing sharp movement and vision throughout his time on the pitch before being replaced late on.

Recent Championship matches:

• Win: 3-1 vs Queens Park Rangers (H)
• Win: 2-1 vs Charlton Athletic (A)
• Win: 4-1 vs Hull City (A)
• Win: 2-1 vs Derby County (H)
• Loss: 2-4 vs Coventry City (H)

Recent Championship matches:

• Loss: 1-3 vs Middlesbrough (A)
• Win: 2-1 vs Birmingham City (H)
• Win: 3-1 vs West Bromwich Albion (H)
• Loss: 1-3 vs Norwich City (A)
• Win: 1-0 vs Blackburn Rovers (A)

Middlesbrough have just beaten Queens Park Rangers 3-1, extending their strong recent form with four wins in their last five league games, sitting second on 42 points and looking to keep the pressure on at the top. Their next match is against Bristol City on 2025-12-20 at 15:00, with the opposition currently 11th on 30 points, offering Boro a chance to widen the gap and solidify their promotion push.

Queens Park Rangers have just lost 3-1 to Middlesbrough, a setback after a decent run with three wins in their last five league outings, leaving them ninth on 31 points and in the mix for playoffs. They face Leicester City next on 2025-12-20 at 15:00, with the opponents eighth on 31 points, making it a crucial clash where a win could help QPR climb the table and bounce back quickly.

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Odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.