MIDDLESBROUGH, England (Interstat) — A solitary first-half goal from Hayden Hackney was enough for Middlesbrough to secure a 1-0 victory over Norwich City in a Championship match at Riverside Stadium on Saturday.

The result in the season opener for both clubs gave Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick a winning start to the 2025-26 league campaign, while new Norwich boss Johannes Hoff Thorup began his tenure with a narrow defeat.

The game’s decisive moment arrived in the 17th minute. A swift midfield transition saw substitute Vladan Kovačević, who had entered the match early, combine with fellow substitute Anis Ben Slimane. Slimane’s pass found midfielder Aidan Morris, who quickly laid it off for Dávid Strelec. Strelec’s incisive through-ball split the Norwich defense, putting Hackney in on goal. The Middlesbrough midfielder finished calmly past goalkeeper Angus Gunn to give the home side a lead it would not relinquish.

Norwich, projected by Interstat’s ELO system to have only a 20.7 percent chance of victory, struggled to create clear chances against an organized Middlesbrough defense. The pregame simulation, which had predicted a 2-1 Middlesbrough win, proved overly optimistic for the visitors’ attack, which was held scoreless.

The second half became increasingly fractious as Norwich sought an equalizer. The physical tone resulted in four yellow cards, all shown in a 24-minute span. Kovačević was booked in the 56th minute for a tactical foul, followed by Strelec in the 72nd. Tempers flared in the 80th minute, with both Ben Slimane and Morris receiving cautions in quick succession.

Middlesbrough, which held a 79.3 percent win probability according to the statistical model, managed the game effectively after the goal, limiting Norwich to half-chances and seeing out the match with professional composure. Goalkeeper Seny Dieng was rarely tested, preserving the clean sheet.

The victory gives Middlesbrough three points to start its league season, moving its overall record to 1-0-0. Norwich begins its campaign 0-0-1, with the focus turning to generating more offensive threat in future matches. Both teams return to action next weekend as the Championship schedule continues.