Good afternoon and welcome to Eurosport's LIVE text commentary of the bottom of the table clash between Middlesbrough and Swansea. Too early to label today's match a six-pointer? Well, Boro will go exactly six points ahead of the Swans if they can record only their third home victory of the season.

Now Boro have a free-kick just out the penalty area after Rangel trips Ramirez...

Boro growing in confidence after opening the scoring. Downing whips in a cross to the penalty area, trying to pick out Negredo but Fabianski is quick off line to collect.

Swansea have been the better side but Bob Bradley's side find themselves trailing.

GOAL! Boro are ahead, slightly against the run of play!

What a finish from Negredo. Ramirez does brilliantly to win the ball in midfield, releasing Clayton on the wing, he swings a cross into the penalty area, slightly behind the striker, but the Spaniard does brilliantly to fashion a shot at goal which is fired into the bottom corner.

Mawson finds Routledge with a lovely cross-field pass but the Swansea attacker is in an offside position.

Scrappy period in the game. Referee Neil Swarbrick has let plenty go in the opening stages.

Chambers catches Llorente from behind and the Swansea striker is hurt. It's not too serious though and he'll be OK to continue. Plenty of challenges flying in from both sides.

Downing is playing in his 196th appearance for Middlesbrough this afternoon.

BORO SUB: Stewart Downing replaces the injured Fischer.

CHANCE! Negredo fires a first-time shot at goal which is parried away to safety byu Fabianski! Forshaw is inches away from the rebound but the defence clear just in time.

England manager Gareth Southgate is in attendance this afternoon. Presumably to cast his eyes over Boro trio Ben Gibson, Calum Chambers and Adam Forshaw.

Fischer appears to have picked up an injury and requires treatment. He may be forced off...

Routledge sends a cross into the penalty area but Barragan clears at the near post. The pressure is only relieved momentarily though as the visitors come forward once more.

The home fans are feeling anxious as their team drops deeper and deeper, inviting pressure.

SAVE! Sigurdsson unloads from the edge of the area and the shot causes problems for Valdes who opts to parry the ball out for a corner. The hosts are under a lot of pressure in the early stages.

Bright start from the visitors! Sigurdsson picks out Barrow in space in the penalty area but this time the winger takes his eye off the ball and squanders the opportunity as it rolls past him.

An early sign of Swansea's attacking threat as Llorente wins an aerial challenge, nodding the ball to Barrow in space but the winger can't pick out a team mate.

KICK-OFF! Boro get us underway at the Riverside.

Not that it means much but this writer is predicting a 1-0 victory for the home side. We're almost set for the start of the match...

Middlesbrough: Valdes, Barragan, Chambers, Gibson, Fabio, Clayton, de Roon, Forshaw, Fischer, Ramirez, Negredo.

Swansea: Fabianski, Rangel, Amat, Mawson, Taylor, Britton, Fulton, Barrow, Sigurdsson, Routledge, Llorente.

This will be the first top-flight meeting between the sides since 1982 and only Swansea's third competitive game at the Riverside Stadium (W1, D1).

Aitor Karanka (Middlesbrough): "It's an important game but I don't want to put pressure on as it's December and we are doing well. The performances have been good playing in the way we have, we will score goals. The main thing for us is to be as organised as a team. Swansea score goals but we have to take advantage because they concede as well."

Bob Bradley (Swansea): "You look at the table, and games against teams that are closer to you do take on more importance. But I think we can all agree that every game is massive for us right now. We understand that the start to the season we have had, and the league position we are in, make it extra important every time we step on to the field."