Leeds United vs Middlesbrough Match Analysis & Prediction
14/08/2024 10:00 pm
Two Championship heavyweights will meet in the first round of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night, as Leeds United and Middlesbrough battle it out at Elland Road for a spot in the second-round draw.
Although they did not secure the win their strived for on the oppening weekend of the Championship season, Leeds gave their supporters the opportunity to forget abouth May’s playoff final defeat to Southampton by viewing a truly bizarre six-goal thriller against newly-promoted Portsmouth at Elland Road.
Despite dominating the possession and attacking metrics, Leeds found themselves fighting to steal a point after Callum Lang held his nerve from 12 yards out to fire Portsmouth into a late lead, before returning star Brenden Aaronson arrived off the bench to bag a 95th-minute equaliser for Daniel Farke’s side.
Regardless of their defensive frailties at the weekend, the Whites will be relatively confident of progressing into the second round of the EFL Cup considering their excellent record at Elland Road, with Leeds losing just twice at their Yorkshire base in the Championship last season.
One-time winners of this competition, Leeds overcame Shrewsbury Town in the first round last season before becoming a surprise second-round casualty on August 29, when the Championship powerhouses exited the competition at the home of League Two side Salford City following penalty kicks.
After an eighth-placed finish during the 2023-24 Championship season, Middlesbrough commenced their push for a playoff spot this time around on a positive note, beating Swansea City at the Riverside Stadium.
Making the goalscoring antics of Chuba Akpon on Teesside an increasingly-distant memory, Emmanuel Latte Lath kept his cool from the penalty spot in the first half of the game to get the better of Lawrence Vigouroux in the visitors’ net, securing all three points for Boro on the opening weekend.
Although a midweek trip to Elland Road is a daunting task at the best of times, Michael Carrick’s side will take confidence from their respectable away record in the Championship last season when they lost eight games on the road, with only the promoted trio of Leicester City (six), Ipswich Town (five) and Southampton (six) suffering fewer defeats on their respective travels.
Middlesbrough were the beneficiaries of some favourable early-round draws during last season’s EFL Cup, but Boro still had to do the business against Huddersfield Town, Bolton Wanderers, Bradford City, Exeter City and Port Vale to secure a glamorous semi-final with Chelsea.
Beating the aforementioned Wanderers in the 2004 final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, one-time winners Boro will strive to be the best-performing EFL side in the competition for a second straight year, a mission that begins with the challenge of promotion-chasing Leeds on Wednesday night.
Leeds United vs. Middlesbrough Head to head
In the previous 74 meetings between these two teams, Leeds have claimed 29 victories while Middlesbrough have won 24, and they have drawn in 21. Middlesbrough have scored 97 goals and conceded 108 in the process.
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09/02/2019Middlesbrough1Leeds United1Championship
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30/11/2019Leeds United4Middlesbrough0Championship
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26/02/2020Middlesbrough0Leeds United1Championship
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02/12/2023Leeds United3Middlesbrough2Championship
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22/04/2024Middlesbrough3Leeds United4Championship
Leeds United Team News
As is often the case in the first round of the EFL Cup, Leeds could make a raft of changes to their XI from the weekend, meaning that key starters such as Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon could drop out of the side.
Mateo Joseph was handed his maiden league start for the Whites at the weekend, although the Spaniard should be replaced by either Joel Piroe or Patrick Bamford on Wednesday night.
Leeds United's Last 5 Matches
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16/05/2024Leeds United4Norwich City0Championship
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26/05/2024Leeds United0Southampton1Championship
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19/07/2024Harrogate Town0Leeds United3Club Friendlies
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03/08/2024Leeds United2Valencia1Club Friendlies
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10/08/2024Leeds United3Portsmouth3Championship
Middlesbrough Team News
Middlesbrough right-back Luke Ayling could face off against his former employers at Elland Road, should Carrick opt to stick with the 32-year-old veteran.
There could be a first competitive start in Boro colours for Delano Burgzorg, who has experience in the EFL following his loan spell at Huddersfield Town last season.
Middlesbrough's Last 5 Matches
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24/07/2024Gateshead0Middlesbrough1Club Friendlies
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27/07/2024Doncaster Rovers3Middlesbrough5Club Friendlies
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31/07/2024Harrogate Town0Middlesbrough0Club Friendlies
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03/08/2024Middlesbrough1Heerenveen0Club Friendlies
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10/08/2024Middlesbrough1Swansea City0Championship
Leeds United vs. Middlesbrough: Odds and Predictions
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