Published on 10.01.2024
Middlesbrough will enter the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final with a one-goal advantage after defeating Chelsea 1-0 at the Riverside Stadium.
The Championship team’s Hayden Hackney secured the lead in the first half, much to Michael Carrick’s squad’s delight and the home crowd’s satisfaction. Meanwhile, Cole Palmer missed three excellent opportunities for the struggling Premier League side, which was uncharacteristic of him.
Despite dominating possession, Mauricio Pochettino’s team failed to find an equalizer and suffered their fifth away defeat in six matches. They now face the challenging task of reaching the final at Wembley. However, Boro can still dream.
🌋 Listen to the @Boro crowd erupt!#EFL | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/ENASu6TM1U
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) January 10, 2024
Right from the start, Boro displayed determination and purpose. Levi Colwill’s defensive header was poor, allowing Emmanuel Latte Lath an opportunity on goal within minutes of kick-off. However, Latte Lath failed to make proper contact with his shot, making it easy for Djordje Petrovic to save.
Unfortunately for Carrick’s side, Axel Disasi made a desperate lunge while attempting to block Latte Lath’s shot and ended up injuring him in the process. As a result of this challenge, Latte Lath had no choice but to leave due to injury. Josh Coburn came on as his replacement but then Boro also lost Alex Bangura shortly after that incident occurred.
Chelsea missed out on an opportunity to take advantage, although they had a chance to go ahead when Jonny Howson gave the ball away to Palmer. Despite being well-positioned, his shot went wide of the goal, and shortly after that, the Premier League team paid the price for their wastefulness.
Daniel Barlaser played a pass that sent Isaiah Jones down the right wing, and his low cross was expertly put into the net by Hackney. Moises Caicedo failed to track back on defense, but it was a skillful finish from the 21-year-old academy graduate that brought excitement inside Riverside Stadium.
