Middlesbrough vs Chelsea LIVE: Carabao Cup semi-final result and reaction after huge first-leg shock

8 mins: Another bright moment for Middlesbrough! Bangura is released down the left and has plenty of space to pick out his cross. He can’t find Coburn in the middle and Enzo Fernandez cuts it out, there are shouts for handball as the ball bounces up, but there’s nothing in that.

6 mins: SAVE! A first sight of goal for Cole Palmer, who has indeed lined up as Chelsea’s central forward. Glover is able to parry away his effort, Palmer hit it well but it was central.

4 mins: Ah, that’s gutting fo Latte Lath, who is going to need to come off for Middlesbrough after that early challenge from Disasi.

The striker had just come back from injury as well, and gives Middlesbrough another problem with so many already out.

Josh Coburn replaces him.

1 min: CHANCE! Huge opportunity for Middlesbrough, inside the first 60 seconds!

Colwill’s backwards header is short and allows Latte Lath to race through on goal!

Disasi comes across well and Latte Lath’s shot is tame, easily held by Petrovic.

It leaves Latte Lath needing some treatment, as Disasi made contact with the striker after he got his shot away.

Underway in the first domestic cup semi-final of the season!

Cracking atmosphere at the Riverside tonight on a huge night for Middlesbrough.

Kick-off is next!

And, as a reminder, there’s no VAR tonight, or in the other semi-final.

Retro.

Should Chelsea or Middlesbrough win big tonight, fans will no doubt start planning their day out to Wembley next month.

This season’s Carabao Cup final will be played on Sunday 25 February at Wembley Stadium. The kick-off time for the final has yet to have been confirmed but last season’s final between Manchester United and Newcastle kicked off at 4:30pm GMT.

Pochettino’s message to Chelsea players before tonight’s Carabao Cup semi-final: “The most important thing is we need to enjoy the semi-final, not to feel like it’s compulsory for us to be in the final. Football is not about that. You cannot play if you feel pressure and you don’t feel fresh in your mind.

“If you feel it’s compulsory (to win), always with some restriction - you need to take the semi-final as a great opportunity to enjoy playing football, performing well, running, being aggressive, being all together. Not to feel it’s compulsory to go to the final. You start to limit yourself.”

Michael Carrick heads into Middlesbrough’s Carabao Cup semi-final showdown with Chelsea convinced he is a better manager than he was a year ago.

Carrick took over at the Riverside Stadium in October 2022 and guided the club to the Championship play-offs at the first attempt after winning eight of his first 11 league games at the helm.

On Tuesday evening, the 42-year-old will go head to head with Mauricio Pochettino and his expensively-assembled team in the first leg of the last-four tie with his side sitting in 12th place, but certain he has improved over the last 12 months.

Asked if he was a better manager, Carrick replied: “I must be, really. There are times through your career when you have good spells and others when you don’t get results. But even when you aren’t getting results, you can be performing really well and feel good and know that it’s coming around.

“There are always ups and downs. It’s sticking to your beliefs and principles. Having those ups and downs the past year has benefited me in terms of how I deal with that.

“With the responsibility and the journey we’ve been on, I have loved every minute of it. I’m very hopeful that there is plenty more to come.”