Middlesbrough fans enjoy the praise, so does the defensive almostfinalist

Chelsea’s relatively easy route to the Carabao Cup final must survive the first rain. In the opening semi-final, the Blues fell to Middlesbrough 0-1, yet Chelsea fans surprisingly praised their opponents.

The Blues were the favourites not only because of the quality of their squad. The Blues had won their last four matches and were dangerous in all of them, especially in attack. Cole Palmer and Noni Maduek have been in great form, but they were the two who struggled the most on Tuesday.

Palmer could have scored a hat-trick with a bit of luck, he had two huge chances in the first half setup. But he let the goalkeeper stand out and then shot over the bar. In the first half, the young Englishman had a total of four chances.

Defensively flawless Middlesbrough

The outsider fought his way to victory and is not at all ashamed of it. Goalkeeper Tom Glover shone as did the rest of the defensive unit, Chelsea had 2.46 goals scored by the xG measure, shot 17 times overall and had 72% ball possession. But she came up empty.

Still, Blues supporters made no excuses. “As a Chelsea fan, I have to admit we played horribly. And you made us pay for it,” wrote Middlesbrough’s Kieran Chayla under an Instagram post , and several Blues supporters agreed.

Even the home supporters praised Middlesbrough’s defensive effort, especially Matt Clark. “We need to replace him when he goes to Real Madrid,” quipped Jayson Booth and Forsyth Owen agreed: “Defensive gig, now just to confirm it at Stamford Bridge.”

A Premier League level backdrop

The atmosphere at the Riverside Stadium was so breathtaking that even the opposing fans appreciated it. “As a Chelsea fan I acknowledge your supporters are amazing,” wrote Vitalii Zhuk. No wonder Middlesbrough are close to their first final since triumphing in the same competition in 2003/04.

Chelsea are still favourites and have the advantage of a rematch at Stamford Bridge. They are hungry for their first trophy under new owners. “The fans were amazing, a great atmosphere and a passion for football that turned into the joy of winning. Enjoy it because we will eat you up at home,” added supporter Suis Dinho.

Source: Instagram