(Football news) Michael Carrick’s team has the advantage going into this match because Hayden Hackney’s 37th-minute effort proved to be the difference between the two sides at Riverside Stadium in the first leg. Chelsea had eighteen shots in the first leg of the competition at Riverside Stadium, and Cole Palmer had enough opportunities to score a hat-trick. However, the Blues were punished for their lackluster finishing, so they still have work to do to go to the EFL Cup final this season.
There is no getting away from the fact that it has been a disappointing season for Chelsea, but they managed to record a 1-0 win over Fulham in their last match, with Palmer’s first-half penalty securing the points to move the capital outfit into ninth position in the Premier League table.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side are only actually one point behind seventh-placed Manchester United in the top flight, while they have won four of their last five games in all competitions, including a 4-0 success over Preston North End in the third round of the FA Cup.
Chelsea will meet Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday, with their next Premier League match not coming until January 31 at home to Liverpool.
The Blues, who have won the League Cup on five occasions, have overcome AFC Wimbledon, Brighton & Hove Albion, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United to advance to the semi-finals of this competition.
Middlesbrough know that they will be up against it on Tuesday night, but Hackney’s cool finish from an Isaiah Jones cross in the first leg has given the Championship outfit something to hold onto heading into this match.
Boro have also enjoyed previous success in the League Cup, winning the competition in 2004, beating Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively before overcoming Bolton Wanderers in the final, so they have previous at this stage of the tournament.
Carrick’s side, who have beaten Huddersfield Town, Bolton, Bradford City, Exeter City and Port Vale in this season’s EFL Cup, will enter this match off the back of a 1-1 draw with Rotherham United in the Championship on Saturday, with the result leaving them 11th in the table.
Also read: Inter Milan will play Napoli in Coppa Italia
