Match Summary · Middlesbrough · EFL Cup · Football · England · EFL Cup · Middlesbrough FC · Wrexham AFC · Will Lankshear · Sebastian Berhalter
| Metric | Middlesbrough FC | Wrexham AFC |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 54% | 46% |
| Shots | 14 | 9 |
| Shots on target | 3 | 2 |
| Shots off target | 8 | 4 |
| Corners | 7 | 3 |
| Fouls | 9 | 9 |
| Yellow cards | 1 | 4 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
| Offsides | 0 | 3 |
| Goalkeeper saves | 2 | 2 |
The first half offered little between the boxes and the clearest mark on the match log was a 42'31'' yellow card for Lewis O'Brien. That left the game goalless at the interval, with neither side able to move the score in a cagey opening 45 minutes.
Wrexham's discipline came under pressure again early in the second half when Sam Smith went into the book at 55'10''. Five minutes later Middlesbrough found the breakthrough. At 60'08'', Lankshear finished from Sebastian Berhalter's assist to put the hosts 1-0 ahead and change the direction of the tie.
The game then moved into a busy stretch of substitutions. Ryan Longman replaced Daniel Imray for Wrexham at 64'52'', before Middlesbrough responded with George Edmundson for Max Arfsten at 66'38'' and Kyle Joseph for Jeremy Sarmiento at 66'52''. Lankshear's booking at 68'43'' was followed by a triple Wrexham change around the 71st minute, with Kieffer Moore, Bailey Tye Cadamarteri and Ben Whiteman all introduced.
Nathan Broadhead then made way for Davis Keillor-Dunn at 75'57'', while Middlesbrough withdrew goalscorer Lankshear for Fin Cartwright at 79'17''. Late yellow cards for Dominic Hyam at 84'39'' and Callum Doyle at 90'00'' summed up Wrexham's frustration as the final stats closed on a narrow home win.
Our pre-match analysis called this one correctly. These picks were backed before kick-off and landed after the final result.
1X2: Home @1.77
Pre-match pick: Home win is in line with the 2-1 prediction and favorite angle.