The League Cup trail starts right back at SE25.
We have drawn Championship outfit Middlesbrough at Selhurst Park in the third round of the Carabao Cup. Having earned a bye directly into this stage owing to our European commitments, we step into domestic cup action ready to mount another serious run.
The tie takes place during the week commencing 7th September, with the official match date and kickoff details set for confirmation in the coming days.
Here is the complete breakdown ahead of Boro’s visit to South London.
Pierre Sage kickstarts first domestic cup campaign
This tie provides Pierre Sage with his very first shot at domestic silverware in the Selhurst Park dugout. Taking over the reins following Oliver Glasner’s transformative era, Sage carries the clear objective of keeping Palace firmly in the hunt for major honors while managing the demands of an expanded European schedule
Because of our European schedule, UEFA’s non-rescheduling directives automatically locked us out from facing fellow European sides in this draw. That protected status meant we could not draw the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, or Sunderland. Instead, we welcome a familiar Championship opponent to South London.
Dominant record at Selhurst Park
Across 34 total competitive meetings between the clubs, Middlesbrough hold a slight edge with 15 wins to our 13, alongside six draws. However, the story completely flips once the action moves to SE25.
Middlesbrough struggle on our turf. We have surrendered defeat just twice in our last eight home clashes against Boro—a sequence stretching back to the 1995/96 season. That exact 95/96 campaign featured a 2-2 League Cup draw at Selhurst, though Boro ultimately took the replay at the Riverside 2-0.
Our last direct encounter came during the 2018/19 League Cup fourth round, where Boro snatched a 1-0 win on Teesside. Returning to SE25, however, firmly places the leverage in our favour.
| Venue | Matches Played | Palace Wins | Draws | Middlesbrough Wins |
| Selhurst Park (Last 8) | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Overall Head-to-Head | 34 | 13 | 6 | 15 |
Middlesbrough’s chaotic road to SE25
Middlesbrough arrive in South London after surviving a dramatic end to their previous campaign and a busy start to the current one.
They reached the third round by putting away Doncaster Rovers 3-1 in the second round, following a hard-fought opening-round victory over Wrexham. In the Championship, Kim Hellberg’s side sit fifth after taking one win and one defeat from their opening two league games, highlighted by an opening-day victory over newly promoted Lincoln City.
Boro’s place in May’s Championship play-off final came amidst unprecedented circumstances. After losing their semi-final tie to Southampton, Boro stepped into the Wembley showcase following Southampton’s historic expulsion over the high-profile ‘Spygate’ scandal. Hull City ultimately edged Boro 1-0 in the final to seal promotion, keeping the Teessiders in the second tier.
recent League Cup campaigns feature high drama alongside frustrating near-misses.
Since the competition began in 1960, we have reached the semi-finals on three occasions, with our sole final four appearance of the 21st century coming in 2011/12 when Cardiff City edged us on penalties.
- 2025/26: Pushed eventual finalists Arsenal to the absolute brink in the quarter-finals, falling 9-8 in an agonizing penalty shootout.
- 2024/25: Battles with Arsenal in the quarter-finals produced a thriller, with the Gunners narrowly taking a 3-2 result.
- 2020/21: A second-round shootout at Bournemouth ended in a marathon 11-10 defeat, sealed when Wayne Hennessey skied his penalty and Luka Milivojević missed on our 12th spot-kick.
With Sage leading the charge and the Selhurst faithful behind us, we possess every tool needed to convert cup potential into a deep run this season
