National cups are something special for many teams and supporters. Today's match will decide whether it's Middlesbrough U23 or Nottingham U23 that keep their silverware dream alive.
Both participants have had time to rest since their previous exertion in an official match. Let's agree to expect an energetic game!
Middlesbrough U23 form and stats
Last season, Middlesbrough's Premier League Cup journey ended in the 8th finals.The home fans haven’t been spoiled with victories in the Premier League 2 Divison Two this season. Middlesbrough U23 have only managed 2 wins, 0 draws and 4 losses from their games here at Heritage Park. It's trouble wherever Middlesbrough are playing these days as they have suffered six straight defeats now, regardless of arena. They really need to get back to winning ways.
C. Kavanagh was the last player to score a league goal for Middlesbrough and it's becoming a more and more distant memory as Middlesbrough U23 haven't scored in 345 minutes.
The Middlesbrough fans got no joy from their last match, a Premier League 2 Divison Two game also here at Heritage Park: A 0-3 defeat against Birmingham U23.
Prior to that, an away loss at Fulham U23 in the Premier League 2 Divison Two.Middlesbrough has scored 6 league goals at home this season, in 6 matches. Defensively it’s touch-and-go for the home team as 9 goals have been conceded.
Nottingham U23 form and stats
They also participated in Premier League Cup last season. This ended in the group stage.The hunting on away grounds haven’t been very fruitful for Nottingham U23 so far with only 6 points returning home. The records show 2-0-5 (win-draw-lose). Three consecutive losses in away matches means Nottingham U23 are growing more and more desperate for a good performance on the road.
Two away games in a row for Nottingham U23, who will hope to get a better result in this one after losing 2-4 versus Norwich City U23 in the Premier League 2 Divison Two. As you can tell from the result, the match against Norwich City U23 was as crazy as a clown in a village circus. Great fun for the neutral supporter with 6 goals, will the fun continue today?
A 2-2 draw was the result before that, hosting West Bromwich Albion U23 in the Premier League 2 Divison Two.Nottingham are scoring more than one goal per away game on average, having accumulated 8 away goals from 7 games (in the league). In the opposite end, Nottingham have conceded 13 goals in their away games.
Head 2 Head
Head-to-head statistics (for the prior two meetings): Middlesbrough won one game, zero matches ended in a draw and Nottingham U23 have one win. Over 2,5 goals / under 2,5 goals: one / oneTop Goalscorers
  O. Hammond 5 goals | W. Swan 5 goals |
Middlesbrough U23 missing players
Nottingham U23 missing players
| Middlesbrough U23 | Nottingham U23 | ||||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 25 | 15 | Played | P | 13 | 25 | ||
| 9 | 6 | Won | W | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2 | 2 | Drew | D | 1 | 8 | ||
| 14 | 7 | Lost | L | 9 | 11 | ||
| 34 | 18 | Scored | S | 14 | 33 | ||
| 43 | 21 | Conceded | C | 25 | 38 | ||
| 100% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 92% | ||
| 80% | 73% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 69% | 76% | ||
| 60% | 53% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 38% | 44% | ||
| 32% | 13% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 23% | 28% | ||
| 28% | 13% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 23% | 20% | ||
| 60% | 53% | BTTS | BTTS | 46% | 56% | ||
| 16% | 20% | Clean Sheets | C S | 23% | 24% | ||
| 24% | 27% | Failed to Score | F T | 31% | 28% | ||
| 6.3 | 7 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 6.3 | 6.1 | ||
| 5.1 | 5.1 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 4.8 | 4.4 | ||
| 2.1 | 1.8 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 1.5 | 1.6 | ||
| 4 | 3 | Red cards | R C | 0 | 2 | ||
| 10.1 | 9.1 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 8.7 | 10.4 | ||
| 4.2 | 3.6 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 3.3 | 3.7 | ||
| 33% | 33% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 33% | 36% | ||
| 9.6 | 7.5 | Shots against (avg) | S A | 10.2 | 9.8 | ||
| 4.7 | 3.9 | Shots on Target against (avg) | S O | 4.3 | 4.2 | ||
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Queens Park Rangers U23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | Middlesbrough U23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Nottingham U23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 | Blackburn Rovers U23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -2 | 3 |
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Fulham U23 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 25 |
| 2 | West Bromwich Albion U23 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 18 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 13 | 4 | 21 |
| 3 | Stoke City U23 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 19 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6 | -5 | 18 |
| 4 | Aston Villa U23 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 26 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 17 |
| 5 | Burnley U23 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 17 |
| 6 | Norwich City U23 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 27 | 25 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 12 | 2 | 17 |
| 7 | Wolves U23 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 15 |
| 8 | Southampton U23 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 14 |
| 9 | Newcastle Utd U23 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 20 | 21 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 11 | -1 | 14 |
| 10 | Sunderland U23 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 22 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 13 |
| 11 | Nottingham U23 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 12 |
| 12 | Birmingham U23 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 23 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 13 | -9 | 10 |
| 13 | Reading U23 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | -7 | 9 |
| 14 | Middlesbrough U23 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 11 | -9 | 9 |