Doncaster Rovers vs Middlesbrough — match summary
England · Carabao Cup · kick-off 26 Aug 2026 01:30
Full time · score 1-3
Shots on target 5-8 · corners 1-7 · possession 34-66
NextGOAL tip: Doncaster Rovers +1 · 2 stars
Both teams have something at stake here: Doncaster Rovers just opened their League One season with a 0-0 draw against Barnsley (Aug 22) after losing 2-1 to Mansfield Town (Aug 15). Middlesbrough, meanwhile, just lost 2-1 to Blackburn Rovers in the Championship (Aug 22) after beating Lincoln City 2-1 (Aug 15) — neither side is in top form, but the hosts are at home and have a 4-0 win over Middlesbrough in their last meeting in Aug 25, a game where Doncaster Rovers dominated. Control numbers suggest the hosts will have slightly less possession, but Doncaster Rovers' defense concedes most heavily in the 76-90 min period (28%), while Middlesbrough scores least in that same period (7%) — so the closing stages are the first thing to watch after kickoff, because if the score is still tight, the hosts have a chance to close out the game without conceding more.