Dominant Boro Held to Goalless Draw in First Leg Stalemate - Middlesbrough 0-0 Southampton Match Reaction

Dominant Boro Held to Goalless Draw in First Leg Stalemate - Middlesbrough 0-0 Southampton Match Reaction

A goal is still yet to be found in this season's EFL playoffs, following on from Friday's goalless draw between Hull and Millwall.

Middlesbrough were dominant in a first half where the visitors failed to register a single shot on goal, a game which happened a day after investigations were launched into spying accusations from Southampton on a Boro training session.

The spying operation clearly did not pay off, with the Riverside residents the far better side throughout. Despite this of course, Tonda Eckert's side dug deep and an improved second half showing means they head back to the south coast on Tuesday with it all still to play for.

A Failure To Capitalise Could Haunt Boro

Saturday lunchtime's fixture was contested by the fifth and fourth-placed sides respectively in the second tier, and unlike yesterday, it was the lower ranked side who were the more dominant of the two.

Considering the last time these sides met in the north east the game ended 4-0 to Boro, Saints fans will be pleased to have a kept a clean sheet.

This was by far no easy task, however, with Kim Hellberg's side registering 17 shots on goal to nought by the interval - Tommy Conway went closest to breaking the deadlock but his effort was denied by the woodwork.

Saints came out the blocks in the second half much improved, finding more chances and finally engineering a way into the Middlesbrough penalty area.

Despite this, it was six shots without one on target, and although Taylor Harwood-Bellis' headed effort could have nicked a crucial goal late on, the tie remains with nothing to separate the sides, much like their end of season position.

FULL-TIME: It's all to play for heading into the Championship play-off semi-final second leg between Middlesbrough and Southampton after the first leg at the Riverside ended 0-0 👀 pic.twitter.com/gMjzH0EyJh

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 9, 2026

Still All To Play For

Southampton will now head back St Mary's - a ground which has seen them lose just once since the appointment of Eckert - knowing they have all the cards.

Nonetheless, goals are the currency, and whoever scores more will earn a place at Wembley and a shot at a memorable return to the Premier League.