- 1 Doncaster Rovers vs Middlesbrough: memories of last season’s 4-0 rout
- 2 Doncaster Rovers: plenty of chances, no goals
- 3 Middlesbrough: strong Championship squad, still chasing a first away win
- 4 Football Prediction Doncaster Rovers vs Middlesbrough
- 5 First, a word on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information can change
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the visuals…
Doncaster Rovers vs Middlesbrough: memories of last season’s 4-0 rout 
A year on from the 4-0 home thumping by Doncaster in the EFL Cup, Middlesbrough meet their tormentors again on Tuesday at 19h30. This time, the tie is at Eco-Power Stadium in the second round.
The two clubs are at very different levels. Doncaster are in League One, while Middlesbrough are coming off a lost play-off final in the Championship and have their eyes fixed firmly on the Premier League.
The first round was messy for the Rovers, who needed penalties to get past Stockport County after a 1-1 draw. Boro, meanwhile, scraped through 1-0 against Wrexham.
Doncaster are making a fourth straight appearance at this stage of the competition, still enjoying memories of last season’s strong run to the third round before Tottenham shut the door.
Early-season form has gone in very different directions. Doncaster are still trying to get going in League One, while Middlesbrough started well with two straight wins before slipping up for the first time at Blackburn.
The key stat is simple enough: Doncaster have not beaten Middlesbrough at home since December 2010. Last season’s 4-0 win came at Boro’s ground, not at Eco-Power Stadium.
Doncaster Rovers: plenty of chances, no goals 
Grant McCann’s start to the season has been flat: a 2-1 defeat at Mansfield Town, then a 0-0 draw at home to Barnsley. One point from six, which is not exactly the start they had in mind.
The Barnsley game summed it up. Doncaster carved out three big chances, gave up none, and still walked off without a goal to show for it.
That attacking bluntness sits alongside a defence that has at least looked organised. The problem is the finish, not the chance creation.
The injury list does not help. James Husband, Matty Pearson and Tom Nixon are all doubts. Forward Frankie Okoronkwo is still working his way back after seven months out with hamstring trouble.
McCann is expected to freshen up his side for the cup. Isaac Hutchinson, Leon Ayinde and Brandon Hanlan are among the likeliest to come in.
If Doncaster are to win in 90 minutes, they must do something they have not managed since the 2-1 win in December 2010: beat Middlesbrough on home soil.
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Middlesbrough: strong Championship squad, still chasing a first away win 
After that play-off final let-down, Boro responded with back-to-back wins. A 1-0 cup win over Wrexham followed by a 2-1 comeback against newly promoted Lincoln City put the season back on track.
The first away trip, though, told a different story. Jeremy Sarmiento opened the scoring with his first goal for the club, but Blackburn Rovers hit back with two goals in six second-half minutes to win 2-1.
That early-second-half collapse is the real warning sign for Kim Hellberg. His side are still licking their wounds from that defeat and have yet to win on the road this season.
Tommy Conway remains in rehab after ankle surgery and a hernia operation over the summer. Ashley Phillips, who is still waiting to make his debut, will be assessed before kick-off.
Changes are likely. Sol Brynn, Alfie Jones, Neto Borges, Riley McGree and Kyle Joseph are among those pushing for a start. McGree should be the midfield anchor.
The recent record at Doncaster is still decent for Boro, with just one defeat in the last four visits and a 0-0 draw on their last trip there in February 2014.
The real difference sits in the final third. Middlesbrough have the bench depth Doncaster can only dream of, and the Rovers have scored just once in their opening two league games.
Probable Doncaster Rovers XI: Simkin ; Sterry, Byrne, McGrath, Senior ; Bailey, Broadbent ; Thomas, Hutchinson, Ayinde ; Hanlan
Probable Middlesbrough XI: Brynn ; Brittain, Jones, Malanda, Borges ; Castledine, Morris, McGree, Peart-Harris ; Whittaker, Joseph
Football Prediction Doncaster Rovers vs Middlesbrough
Our prediction: Middlesbrough to win
Doncaster have scored just once in their first two League One fixtures and have not beaten Boro at home for 15 years. Those numbers matter more than last season’s 4-0 win, which came away from home in very different circumstances.
Middlesbrough badly need a spark away from the Riverside, and even with rotation they still look stronger than Doncaster’s likely starting XI. Riley McGree and Kyle Joseph bring the sort of quality the Rovers are missing in the final third.
We are backing Middlesbrough. The likeliest outcome is a tight game opened up by the gap in individual quality.
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