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Championship side Middlesbrough travel to League One outfit Doncaster Rovers as both teams battle for a place in the EFL Cup third round.
Kim Hellberg's side secured a narrow victory over Wrexham in the previous round, while the hosts' route to this stage was even more taxing after they overcame Stockport County on penalties.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Doncaster vs. Middlesbrough key stats
- Middlesbrough have won three of the last five head-to-head meetings between the sides while remaining unbeaten in the other two.
- Doncaster are winless in regulation time in each of their last seven outings, including four friendlies.
- Middlesbrough have won two of their three matches this season.
Doncaster vs. Middlesbrough preview: Boro aiming to avoid another cup upset
Doncaster vs. Middlesbrough — Tale of the Tape
| Doncaster | vs | Middlesbrough |
|---|---|---|
| 20th (League One) | Position | 11th (Championship) |
| 1 | Points | 3 |
| 1 | Goals For | 3 |
| 2 | Goals Against | 3 |
| 0 | Clean Sheets | 0 |
| 14th | Home / Away Rank | 18th |
Doncaster are featuring in the second round of the EFL Cup for a fourth consecutive season after edging past Stockport County on penalties in the opening round.
The League One outfit will now be hoping to produce another cup upset after reaching the third round last term by beating Middlesbrough 4-0 at this very stage.
Doncaster were subsequently eliminated by Tottenham Hotspur, but Tuesday's tie gives them another opportunity to repeat that run.
Grant McCann's side have endured a difficult start to their league campaign, losing 2-1 away to Mansfield Town before being held to a goalless draw by Barnsley in their first home fixture.
The hosts will also be looking to improve their record at the Keepmoat Stadium against Boro, having not beaten their visitors on home soil since a 2-1 success in December 2010.
Meanwhile, Middlesbrough started the new campaign positively after narrowly beating Wrexham United 1-0 in the first round of the EFL Cup before coming from behind to defeat newly promoted Lincoln City in their opening Championship fixture.
Those results appeared to put the disappointment of last season's playoff final defeat behind them, having been denied promotion to the Premier League following a 1-0 loss to Hull City.
However, Boro suffered their first setback of the campaign on Saturday when they travelled to Blackburn Rovers, losing 2-1 despite opening the scoring through Jeremy Sarmiento.
Kim Hellberg's side will now be aiming to respond immediately by booking their place in the third round as they attempt to reach that stage for the first time since progressing to the semi-finals in the 2023-24 campaign.
Doncaster vs. Middlesbrough form guide & betting tips
| Doncaster | vs | Middlesbrough |
|---|---|---|
L
L
W
L
D
|
Form |
L
D
W
W
L
|
| 2 | Goals For | 8 |
| 6 | Goals Against | 9 |
W
|
EFL Cup | W
|
Whispers predicts: Doncaster 1-2 Middlesbrough
The match-result market points towards the visitors having the edge, and Middlesbrough win at 1.57 (4/7) looks appealing given their Championship status, stronger start to the season and superior recent head-to-head record.
The Middlesbrough to qualify market at 1.37 (3/8) also looks difficult to overlook, with Boro expected to have enough quality to negotiate a potentially tricky away tie even if Hellberg makes several changes.
Goals could also be on the cards, making over 2.5 goals at 1.61 (8/13) an attractive option, while a 2-1 Middlesbrough victory at 8.50 (15/2) therefore looks like an appealing outsider, with Doncaster capable of making this a competitive contest.
> Middlesbrough to qualify at 1.37 (3/8) | Likelihood: Probable
> Middlesbrough win at 1.57 (4/7) | Likelihood: Possible
> Over 2.5 goals at 1.61 (8/13) | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct score – Doncaster 1-2 Middlesbrough at 8.50 (15/2) | Likelihood: Outsider