Highlights: Middlesbrough - Chelsea | Semi Final | Carabao Cup 23/24

With the Premier League taking something of a back seat for once, the second of four Cup games for Chelsea this January sees the improving Blues away at Middlesbrough for the first time in a long time. And as has so often been the case when these two meet on Cup duty, it's a big one. There's a Wembley place on offer. Both of these clubs were playing in Round 3 of the FA Cup on Saturday, of course. ...has changed four of his starters. Dale Fryer's in at the back. Brookes and the veteran Howson back in midfield. And Emmanuel Ladella is up top. He's scored twice in this Cup run so far. Kasper Ponsch. Further rotation, always a certainty tonight. Just a case of how many would change. The answer is three. From Preston to now, out go Gilchrist, Ludwig and Breuer. In come Thiago Silva, Conor Gallagher and Noni Madiweka. They'll have an outlet with Jones on the right-hand side. That'll be interesting up against Levi Caldwell, where the ball is now, but... Jones is interested, so is Ladella. And just getting enough on him was Di Zazee. Right on cue, sir. Yeah, mistake, wasn't it? Levi Caldwell just not getting enough on that header. That's never going to go back to the goalkeeper. I actually think he's trying to steer that to Thiago Silva. The touch just opened up the opportunity, but Di Zazee, I thought, was quick across. Any club over the years, Johnny House, Madiweka getting it in. Colpalma lashing it. Just a bit too straight, but such confidence at the moment from Colpalma that he was always going to have a go there. He's going to score a long-ranger soon enough for Chelsea, I think. Matter of time. Lovely. First time, perfectly weighted. Malogusto, and in goes Madiweka. And still, Madiweka... was just on the stretch as Dale Fry came across, but that was good, committing defenders. Yeah, it's taken half an hour to get a wide player isolated up against one of the outside centre-halves, and look, he's got the beating of Clarke. That's brilliant. The bench to win that penalty against Newcastle. Got a start, got a goal at Luton. There's a half a chance by Caldwell. Ghosting in. It's a brilliant ball. Great awareness from Palma. Pass appreciation just fell into an area, and with defenders backpedalling, that makes it so difficult for them. Palma has just expected the ball to be in the back of the net, and so did he. And Jonny Howson is mightily relieved that it hasn't ended up that way. What a chance. Best of the game so far. Chelsea haven't really been able to cut them open in open play, so this has actually looked like probably their best route to goal. The ball turning over high. If Palma has missed the chance, he would have anticipated him taking the form he's in. Caldwell's got longside again here. And here is Jones against him. Oh, what a chance! Slid home by Hayden Hackney. Advantage Middlesbrough late in the first half, and it's come down that channel, and there have been a few mistakes in there. This one has been punished. Well, then. Yeah, unquestionably, it looks like they've recognised that Jones on that side up against Caldwell could potentially give them some joy, and it's the scenario, the situation that Chelsea just would have wanted to avoid. A ball down the side. Jones has got the run on Caldwell, and then it's just a question as to whether he can find that end product, and that's something that's missing from his game. He times it really well on the shoulder of Levi Caldwell, and then it's just a midfield run that's not matched, and then the finish is a really good one to steer that left-footed Bjorn Petrovic. Here's Caicedo. Lining up a shot. And he hit it really well. Glover was worried enough to throw himself fully at it. Still waiting for that first Chelsea goal. Thought he had it at Tottenham. That was a game in which Chelsea trailed but ended up winning. It's a good strike. He's going to get one soon. Light palm up. He's impressed me, actually, with his striking of the ball. This is the Season 4 rotation, January. Thankfully, it's not that busy. It's a little bit of a break, but less of one because of this semi-final in its two legs. Enzo Fernandes... Oh, he's built it! And Palmer's guided. It's a gift that Cole Palmer has passed up two of them in one half. And Glover is the latest to be relieved, after Johnny Howson was. Goodness me. Cole Palmer could have made it 1-0 Chelsea. He should have made it 1-1 here. Here he is, third time lucky, maybe. Cole Palmer... No! Glover again. That's a brilliant pass. It's a great move. Once again, this is just a brilliant pass. Dizazee, look at that. Through the lines, perfectly weighted. Like I said, they can't live with Chelsea there. I don't know. It just felt, again... He was a little bit anxious with his finish. Normally, that's just caressed. Wide of the goalkeeper. He's patient and he's able to turn here. Enzo Fernandes now. Can he find a team-mate? Yes, he can. Nnadi Madiweke on the head. Pretty comfortable for Glover. Difficult header. It's a lovely pass from Enzo Fernandes. I think he's going to shoot again when he opens up the pitch. But it's a lovely pick-out. And in between Clarke and Engel, Madiweke gets a nice bit of space. Caicedo zipping it through. Enzo Fernandes and Nnadi Madiweke. Get an equaliser before the changes. Malo Gusto. Gallagher! Took it nicely. Swivelled and pulled it. It was a nice touch. Some lovely pass in the middle of that. Clever effort, actually, to try and steer it. Got the better of Engel twice. The Crooks on the cover with a great tackle. He's still down. Gusto and Burra are attacking. Look out. Crooks is the decoy runner. Shoot, they say. Dan Barleser does. He's a good striker of a ball as well. And he's got a lovely little bit of space. I think it's kind of his stride pattern, isn't it? He's a little on the stretch. Gusto. Out of his feet. In it comes. There's Breuer. Here's Sterling. Modric! It's another drop. Tell you what, he's butterfingers, isn't he? Not sure about Glover. Spiller, maybe. It's a good effort, I think. It's hit nice and true. Just doesn't get into that corner. Makes a hash of it. Maybe just a chance for Sterling to get the ball out of his feet here. Only fractionally. It was there, but fleetingly so. Yeah, a couple of good chances there when Modric got the ball in a nice bit of space and he works the space beautifully. I mean, another day that ends up in the far corner. Nice first time past that from Modric to Gallagher. And here is Armando Breuer. Tight. And in between everyone in Dribbly and out the other side. What a shame. Yeah, it's easy from here, but I think that's the best that Armando Breuer is going to do here. Wide of the target. On his weaker side. Colwell. Come on, Breuer is the chant. Here's Modric. Looks like he's overdone it. Or has he? Round the back. Alfie Gilchrist. Side net. If it was him. He's given the corner, isn't he? And we've had the four. And now we have the roar. Advantage Breuer. Half-time in the semi-final. First half, a tale of mistakes. Plenty of them went unpunished. Not least Cole Palmer's hat-trick of chances. Hayden Hackney got the goal, Sam. Far tighter after the break, but that familiar theme returns for the Blues. A struggle to break down determination and organisation. Yeah, second half was a little bit of a non-event, wasn't it? Although credit to Middlesbrough for the way that they defended. But I think the reality is there were three great chances in the first half where this game could have been won. And it wouldn't have been a night where we're talking about what-ifs. Another game to go. Disappointing outcome tonight. But, you know, another 90 minutes to go at Stamford Bridge where I'm sure Chelsea can turn it around. And now the focus will change to Fulham at the weekend and attacking another game at Stamford Bridge where the form has been pretty good. So, yeah, not good enough on the night tonight. But I think credit to the Championship side who, especially defensively, were incredibly good in that second half. They have upset the odds. They have upset the Blues. These two will play to a finish down at Stamford Bridge in a couple of weeks. And Middlesbrough will have a 1-0 head start.