The first Championship playoff semi-final between Middlesbrough and Brentford comes to a conclusion on Friday night as fourth-placed Boro take a 2-1 lead from the first leg back North to Teesside.

Brentford, who were the league's surprise package by finishing fifth, still have hopes of achieving back-to-back promotions, but they must recover from a crushing late goal in the first leg.

Middlesbrough

After picking up just one point from their last two regular-season games to miss out on automatic promotion, Boro weren't at their best again in the first leg but gave themselves a huge chance of reaching the final with a last-gasp win in West London.

Jelle Vossen gave the visitors a first-half lead before a costly mistake by goalkeeper Dimitrios Konstantopoulos gifted Brentford their equaliser. The Bees looked more likely to score the game's third goal until Boro substitute Fernando Amorebieta saw his shot take a wicked deflection and nestle in the bottom corner to send the travelling fans wild.

Brentford were angered by Boro's aggressive style in the first leg, but none of the six men booked at Griffin Park are in danger of being suspended for the playoff final if they are cautioned again.

In fact, the six yellow cards brandished by Jonathan Moss matched the most that any Championship side has been shown in a single game this season.

Boro boss Aitor Karanka will be glad to return to the Riverside as his side had the best home record of anyone in the Championship with 15 wins and just three defeats all season. Boro have also never lost a home playoff tie before.

They also had the best defence in the division and will be confident of converting their first-leg advantage.

Recent form: WWWLDW

Brentford

Following automatic promotion from League One last season, Brentford made the step up to the Championship with ease by maintaining a playoff push for much of the campaign.

Mark Warburton's side won plenty of plaudits for their attacking mentality and it was again on show in the first leg. However, they couldn't take their chances and now face an uphill task to reach the final.

Whatever the outcome, it has been an impressive first season back in the second tier after 21 years away, but it will end with Warburton leaving the club due to a difference of opinion with owner Matthew Benham on how the club should be run.

Benham wants to implement a European sporting director-head coach model that would see Warburton lose control of recruitment and transfers, something that the 52-year-old wouldn't get on board with.

It is not surprising to see that he is already being linked with other West London Championship sides Fulham and newly-relegated Queens Park Rangers. The manager is off and if they don't go up, how many of their impressive squad will also be lured by bigger clubs? Goalkeeper David Button is already being linked with a switch to Aston Villa.

Recent form: DLDWWL

Team News

Boro could be without the Championship Player of the Year Patrick Bamford, who was out of sorts in the opening leg and might not be risked as he is nursing an ankle problem.

The injury forced the Chelsea loanee to miss Boro's warm-weather training in Marbella in the lead-up to the first leg - a trip that teammate Adam Clayton felt made a real difference.

Elsewhere, Amorebieta will hope that his winning goal earns him a place in the starting XI, but he will probably have to settle for a spot on the bench again.

Warburton, meanwhile, has a fully-fit squad to choose from and can also welcome back Everton loanee Chris Long into the squad.

Boro possible starting lineup:
Konstantopoulos; Whitehead, Ayala, Gibson, Friend; Clayton, Leadbitter; Adomah, Tomlin, Vossen; Kike

Brentford possible starting lineup:
Button; Odubajo, Dean, Tarkowski Bidwell; Douglas, Diagouraga; Jota, Pritchard, Judge; Gray

Head To Head

Boro's victory in the first leg means that they have won all three meetings between the two sides this season.

When they last met at the Riverside back in September, Boro recorded a comfortable 4-0 win, while the two games at Griffin Park have both been settled by a single goal.

Gray's equaliser in the first leg was Brentford's first goal against Boro this season, but the Bees haven't won in any competition against the Teesside outfit since 1964 in the FA Cup. Their last win in a league match was over three-quarters of a century ago in December 1938.

Video Preview

Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:

We say: Boro 2-1 Brentford

Amorebieta's late goal was a huge blow to Brentford and now they have to win at what was the toughest ground to visit this season. Boro's league-best home form means that they will be heavy favourites to book their place, and the same scoreline as the first leg could be on the cards.