Written by Jeff Snyder at The Comeback
This year has flown by. It’s hard to believe that we’re at the quarters already for the Capital One Cup. Time flies when you’ve got good soccer to watch. We’ve got some great matchups at this stage of the Capital One Cup. Plenty of opportunities for potential upsets, chances to regain form, and maybe even an absolute rout.
Capital One Cup Fixtures:
Tuesday, December 1:
Middlesbrough v Everton:
Time: 2:45 p.m. EST
Location: Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
Prediction: I have a feeling that we will see at least one upset at this round and this game has all of the makings to be it. Middlesbrough have been in fine form, as has Everton. The big difference is that Everton have been weak defensively (allowing three goals last weekend), and Middlesbrough have been incredibly difficult to score at home. They’ve already knocked out Manchester United, so they won’t be awed by a larger team either. When we take into account that Everton might be missing James McCarthy and Gareth Barry, we can see that Everton are definitely there to be taken.
Predicted Final Score: 2-1, Middlesbrough win in ET
Player to Watch: Romelu Lukaku — While I have Middlesbrough winning, I believe it will come down to Lukaku. He presently has five goals in four games, so it’s a safe bet that he will get the one goal I predicted for Everton. If he is able to bully Middlesbrough’s defense, which is certainly a possibility, there’s no reason he couldn’t get a second goal that could end the game for them. He is coming up against a very stingy defense, though, so the question marks are certainly there, and with some of the big holes in their squad (through injury) he might have some difficulty getting the service he’ll need. A lot will rest on Lukaku’s shoulders this match.
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