Middlesbrough FC – Chelsea
Tip:
Chelsea to win to nil
Current Bonus:
Bet £10 & Get £50
Bet Now
Open Account Offer Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.
Open Account Offer Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.
Middlesbrough’s attention turns to another cup competition just days after they were dumped out of the FA Cup. The Championship side have made huge strides under Michael Carrick, but they could end up empty-handed this season if they are not careful. They welcome Premier League side Chelsea to the Riverside Stadium on Tuesday evening for the first of two matches in the Carabao Cup semi-finals with a place at Wembley Stadium up for grabs.
Boro set for second Premier League test
Middlesbrough are currently 12th on the league ladder in the Championship, and it is fair to say that they have had a comfortable passage through to the semi-final stage of the Carabao Cup. They have yet to face Premier League opposition and the only Championship side they have encountered on this run was Huddersfield Town in the first round.
The hosts booked their semi-final spot with a 3-0 away victory at Port Vale. Boro were dumped out of the FA Cup last Saturday with a late Matty Cash deflected goal being the difference against Aston Villa. Middlesbrough have a little bit of history in this tournament. They have appeared in three finals with one win and two defeats. They lifted this trophy for the only time in 2004 thanks to a 2-1 win over Bolton Wanderers.
Chelsea starting to find some form
Chelsea are desperate for some silverware this season. They are not going to win the Premier League title, so they have set their stall out in the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. The Blues advanced to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a convincing 4-0 win over Preston North End, and they will be keen to do a similar number on another Championship opponent on Tuesday night.
Mauricio Pochettino's men have won four out of their last five matches in all competitions and they are well aware that a similar performance to the one they dished out on Saturday would almost certainly end this two-legged affair as a contest before the second leg at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have started to show some improvement under Pochettino, but he will know his first season in charge will be deemed a failure if he does not lift any silverware. Chelsea have won this competition on five occasions, but they have lost their last two finals. Their last success was a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the 2015 final.
Head to Head
Chelsea have recorded 45 victories over Middlesbrough from 94 outings. They have not met in the Premier League since 2017, but they did clash in the FA Cup in 2022 with the Blues running out 2-0 winners at the Riverside Stadium. Boro have not beaten Chelsea since Mark Viduka scored a 90th-minute winner in August 2006. Since that win they have played each other nine times with Chelsea winning every single one of them. During that run of nine victories, the Blues have scored 21 goals without conceding any.
Tip:
Chelsea to win to nil
Brand
Bet Now
Open Account Offer Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.
Middlesbrough pushed Aston Villa despite not putting the Premier League side under too much pressure. They cannot afford to be over-awed in the first leg and stand there watching Chelsea’s superstars do what they want. Recent history points to a comfortable evening for the Blues, but over two legs anything can happen. Check out these stats and
best betting odds
ahead of the game on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough vs. Chelsea
Highlight #1
Chelsea have won nine straight matches against Middlebrough
Highlight #2
They have scored 21 goals and conceded none in their last nine meetings
Highlight #2
Middlesbrough have not beaten Chelsea since August 2006
Our Betting Tip for Today-
Chelsea to win to nil – 7/4 @ Bet365
As is the case when a Premier League side meets a team from a lower division, Chelsea are clear favourites to win the first leg. The Blues can be backed at 4/7 to win the game. Middlesbrough are on offer at 19/4 to take a surprise lead to Stamford Bridge. Realistically, Boro would be delighted to go to London all square, the draw is on offer at 3/1.
Comfortable night for Chelsea defenders
We all love a good cup upset, and the neutrals will all be cheering on the Boro on Tuesday night. Well, maybe not Newcastle United and Sunderland fans, but you understand what I mean. All the signs point to a very comfortable night’s work for the Blues though.
They have won nine straight against Boro and have not conceded a single goal in that time. The last time Boro scored against Chelsea was in a 2-1 win at the Riverside in 2006. Having watched them against Villa, I am not sure they have enough quality up front to test the Chelsea back four. Back Chelsea to make it 10 successive wins over Middlesbrough with yet another clean sheet.
