Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg between Chelsea and Middlesbrough will test the Premier League team’s resolve as they attempt to overcome a 1-0 deficit.
When we thought Chelsea’s days of creating opportunities and missing them were over, they exceeded our expectations in the first leg of this Carabao Cup semifinal.
Although it was somewhat fortunate, Middlesbrough deserves credit for making such a show out of it and winning a historic 1-0 at Riverside Stadium.
Fans of Boro will argue that you need a little bit of luck to beat the best teams, and we don’t blame them because we have an exciting second leg ahead of us.
The hosts took a 37th-minute lead thanks to a well-executed finish from Hayden Hackney, but if Cole Palmer hadn’t tied the score at halftime with a potential miss of the season, it would have been tied.
The Premier League visitors had several good opportunities in the first forty-five minutes, but were unable to break through even with improved control in the second half.
After the interval, Middlesbrough gave up 80% of the ball and found it difficult to pass, so it will be interesting to watch how they play this match.
We believe their only option will be to defend, stand back, and bide their time until the break, which they appear capable of doing.
Their trip to Elland Road served as the best example; despite having 38% of the possession, they scored twice and created three more excellent opportunities.
The last five teams to visit Stamford Bridge have only managed an average of 0.52xG, but Boro will feel more confident because of their incredible goal-scoring record in the Championship.
Michael Carrick’s team has scored 23 goals in 10 away games from home thanks to 10 different goal scorers—none of whom have scored more than once in the previous six games.
In spite of this, there has been only one team to score in the last 10 and 15 of 16 meetings in this strange history of the match.
Although Boro can certainly score quickly, we think Chelsea will win the match in less than 90 minutes.
This is a Premier League team playing a Championship team for a chance to go to Europe, after all. They’ve recently put three past Brighton and four past Man City here.
If they are properly focused from the beginning—which they should be after losing the first leg—they can create and take plenty of chances.
We also believe that a little wager on Cole Palmer to score is worthwhile. The majority of Chelsea’s victories have been sparked by him, and he consistently steps up when they most need it.
News about the team:
Lesley Ugochukwu, Christopher Nkunku, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, Robert Sanchez, and Reece James are all out.
Currently representing his country at the African Cup of Nations is Nicolas Jackson.
Due to injuries, Emmanuel Latte Lath, Tom Smith, Alex Bangura, and Darragh Lenihan are not available for Middlesbrough.
Three players on international duty will also be absent for the visitors, which is a further setback. Goalie Seny Dieng, Sam Silvera, and Riley McGree are all abroad representing their nations.
Key Stats: –
Chelsea has outscored their previous eight Championship opponents 23-1; – In 10 straight meetings and 15 of 16; – In Chelsea’s last eight home games against Boro, they have kept a clean sheet; – In Middlesbrough’s last 10 away games, they have scored 23 goals.
