Chelsea have home advantage in the second-leg of their EFL Cup semi-final against Middlesbrough, but the Premier League side have to overturn a 1-0 deficit when the pair meet at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night (20:00 KO).
The Blues bounced back from that first-leg loss at the Riverside to beat London rivals Fulham 1-0 in the Premier League last time out and Mauricio Pochettino’s side are well fancied to progress to the final and book their place in the Wembley showdown.
- Over 3.5 goals
- Armando Broja over 1.5 shots on target
- Isaiah Jones to be shown a card
Goals Could Flow
Chelsea have a huge class and quality edge on Middlesbrough and they also have home comforts with the second-leg taking place at Stamford Bridge. However, the Blues held all the advantages when losing 1-0 at the Riverside in the first battle between the sides and Pochettino’s men have shown that they are not a side that can be trusted.
The Blues have played excellent football in games against Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool this season, but on the flip side they have lost to the likes of Wolves, Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Everton.
One thing that is usually guaranteed in games involving Pochettino’s side is goals. There have been 49 strikes in Chelsea's last 14 games in all competitions and the nature of the fixture will force the Blues to push forward against Middlesbrough.
Boro take a major step up in class at Stamford Bridge and Michael Carrick’s side have seen 47 goals scored in their last 12 away matches, while they have conceded in all but one of their last 10 road trips and that came against League One Port Vale.
Broja Can Hit The Target
Chelsea have been struggling to convert their chances in the Premier League, but they have been getting their shots off in the cup competitions.
The Blues hit 24 shots (12 on target) in their 4-0 FA Cup victory over Championship side Preston and they recorded 18 efforts in the first-leg of their League Cup semi-final against Middlesborugh.
Clearly, playing lower-league opposition has given Pochettino’s men more opportunities to hit the target and that should help forward Armando Broja.
The Albania international has scored only one Premier League goal this season, but he has hit 13 shots on target and it’s no top-flight opposition on Tuesday night.
ARMANDO BROJA OVER 1.5 SHOTS ON TARGET
Jones May Struggle To Keep Pace
Isaiah Jones produced an all-action display in the first-leg against Chelsea, and while the 24-year-old was one of Boro’s star performers, he also attracted the attention of the referee.
Jones was shown a yellow card in the first-leg and that made it a ninth caution of the season.
The wing-back was withdrawn in Middlesbrough’s 1-1 draw with Rotherham on Saturday and he is a doubt for the trip to London, but Jones is an interesting card contender if he makes the starting line up.
ISAIAH JONES TO BE SHOWN A RED CARD
