Capital One Cup: Middlesbrough mount Everton challenge
Published:
Matt Haynes | November 30, 2015
Middlesbrough v Everton
- Capital One Cup quarter-final
- Tuesday, December 1st
- Kick-off: 19:45 GMT
- Riverside Stadium
- Live on Sky Sports 1
Toffees to hit sticking point at Riverside?
The Capital One Cup quarter-finals kick-off this midweek, with Championship side Middlesbrough hosting Premier League outfit Everton.
Boro are 15/8 with Coral to win in 90 minutes and having won their last two matches in the Championship, which has seen them return to the top two, will be confident that they can get something from this match in front of a capacity home crowd at the Riverside.
Adam Clayton and Emilio Nsue ensured the three points last time out in a tough away outing to Huddersfield and both players are 8/1 to score anytime. New summer signing Christian Stuani, who has shone this season, and the Uruguayan does have the quality to cause Everton problems, which is why his 15/8 anytime price is decent value.
The last time Middlesbrough beat Everton, Stewart Downing was playing for the Teesside outfit, as the two teams met in the Premier League in October 2006 with the Northeast side running out 2-0 winners, so it is Downing who could be the lucky charm with the 31-year-old a sensational 6/1 scorer in the anytime market.
Boro have been hard to beat at home this season and beat Manchester United on penalties in the last round of the Capital One Cup so Everton will be wary of their threat.
Barkley and Lukaku lethal duo
If Everton are to come away unscathed, they will need top performing pair, Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley to be at their best. In the last two matches, they both boast three goals apiece, with Lukaku now having scored in each of his last four fixtures.
Barkley to score at 2/1 anytime, is simply scorching value, while Lukaku is 4/1 to break the deadlock. The two have hit gold in recent games, striking up a lively partnership in the Everton attack and if both play from the start, they are capable of making a difference.
Barry: Boro “Big game”
Veteran Everton midfielder Gareth Barry has described this clash as a “big game” after the Toffees were pegged back by Bournemouth last time out, succumbing to a 3-3 draw.
“Any disappointment in football, you don’t want to dwell on it for too long,” Barry said.
“It’s a massive game for the club and you don’t get too many chances to play in semifinals, so the guys have got to recover and focus on Tuesday’s game.
“There will be four or five thousand [Everton] fans there and they will play a major part. No matter what, we have to try and put ourselves in the hat for the next round.”
Related
For more check out our comprehensive Capital One Cup archive.
