EFL Cup: Middlesbrough ease to win against Leeds
Leeds United 0 - 3 Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough secured a spot in the second round of the Carabao Cup after scoring three goals in just 16 minutes to defeat Championship rivals Leeds United at Elland Road.
The first half was closely contested but the away side broke the deadlock when Anfernee Dijksteel drifted in from the right touchline and calmly slotted the ball into the corner of the net.
As Leeds pushed forward, Josh Coburn played in Delano Burgzorg, who kept his composure and found the net with a deflected strike off Joe Rodon.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke made five substitutions in the 65th minute, but shortly after, Coburn tapped into an empty net, securing Boro’s first win at Elland Road since 2011.
A closer look at what happened
Last season’s meetings between the sides saw 12 goals, and the frantic start to this match hinted at more of the same.
EFL 23/24 : Middlesbrough and Leeds play out a thriller
Boro goalkeeper Sol Brynn denied Junior Firpo with a leg save in the third minute, and moments later, Dijksteel headed just wide at the other end. However, the rest of the first half remained tight and uneventful.
The match came alive in the second half, with Middlesbrough taking advantage of their fast start. Dijksteel scored a superb opener and later set up Burgzorg for a chance to make it 2-0, but Leeds keeper Karl Darlow made a crucial block.
Burgzorg soon made amends by scoring his first goal for the club, and Coburn capped off an impressive performance as Leeds struggled to cope.
EFL: 2024/2025 (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com)
Leeds did have their moments, with Joel Piroe seeing a close-range shot blocked by Matt Clarke and Georginio Rutter hitting the post with a left-footed effort. Only Darlow’s save from Coburn’s low shot prevented further damage.
Best reaction
Paul, a Middlesbrough fan, was very happy with his side's performance. He said: "Wow, what a performance from us. Could we have another great run in the League Cup? It would certainly bring that buzz back to the club again."
This fan was also very happy.
Boro fans were very happy with this performance.
— European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) August 16, 2024
More reaction here - European Super Football (https://t.co/3cLJ3IbFkJ) https://t.co/008qthzzKW
Oliver, a Leeds fan from Halifax, told us: "There isn’t much I can say about the performance, but there wasn’t a great deal to be positive about. In the first half, we suddenly had one great touch passing. However, we then reverted to type. With it being 0-0 at halftime, the second half became one-way traffic from Boro once they went 1-0 up. An awful night and a very concerning start to the season."
