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Had Wednesday evening's game at the Riverside Stadium been played on the original March 11 date, Middlesbrough vs. Sunderland would have had real meaning. But a match backlog and cup commitments meant it was pushed back and the fortunes of both teams have since taken a turn for the worse.
Now, victory for either side is likely to have little impact on their final fate, with both looking set to fall through the trap door and into the Championship.