Chelsea take on the visitors Middlesbrough in the second leg of English League Cup semifinals. First leg result: 0-1. The match will be played on Tuesday, January 23rd at Stamford Bridge (London).
Chelsea must take the tournament extremely seriously. The Pensioners, after a change in ownership, swiftly transformed from the UEFA Champions League winners (they secured the trophy in 2021!) to the 12th-placed team in the Premier League last season. It was evident that they were not going to accept such a decline: they brought Pochettino back to London, spent tens and hundreds of millions on new signings, and significantly revamped the squad. Despite a 1-0 win in the last round against Fulham, the grand club currently sits with 31 points after 21 matches, firmly in the mid-table region. While there are chances to climb into the European competition spots, breaking into the top 4 seems unlikely. It's clear that they need to compensate for their second consecutive setback in the Premier League somehow. The League Cup is an optimal opportunity, especially after a late goal from Modric and a successful penalty shootout allowed them to advance to the quarterfinals against Newcastle. Now they need to face the challenge of overturning a 0-1 deficit away.
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Middlesbrough had a tough beginning, earning only 1 point after the first 6 rounds in the Championship. Only the merits of the previous season saved manager Karanka from dismissal. Taking charge of the crisis-ridden team mid-season, Michael, whose coaching experience was limited to an interim role at Manchester United, managed to guide his new charges into the top 6 by spring. Although they lost in the playoff matches, there was optimism about further progress. However, they experienced a shock with unexpected setbacks in the early rounds of the current season. Nevertheless, their results gradually improved, and despite occasional hiccups, they managed to climb into the top 6 of the current Championship table. The recent 1-1 draw against the underdog Rotherham, however, slightly set back their aspirations. Yet, it appears that they had the crucial semi-final in mind when playing against Rotherham.
Chelsea had a winning streak against Middlesbrough that lasted since 2007, extending to 9 consecutive matches. However, in the first leg of the semi-final, a lone goal by Hackney at the end of the first half secured victory for Middlesbrough. The Blues at home against a Championship mid-table team will naturally be the clear favorites. However, they face a challenging match against a motivated and well-organized opponent. Let's go with the visitors with a handicap of +2.0 goals.
Prediction for the match: Middlesbrough to win with +2.0 scored handicap.
