1998 Football League Cup final

The 1998 Football League Cup Final was a football match played between Chelsea and Middlesbrough on 29 March 1998 at Wembley Stadium. Chelsea, under new manager Gianluca Vialli, won with two extra time goals and won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup later that season. Middlesbrough's second consecutive defeat in the final was followed by promotion back to the Premier League after just one season.

1998 Football League Cup Final
Match programme cover
Event1997–98 Football League Cup
After extra time
Date29 March 1998
VenueWembley Stadium, London
Man of the MatchDennis Wise (Chelsea)
RefereePeter Jones (Leicestershire)
Attendance77,698
1997
1999

Both teams were restricted to shots from distance. This all changed in extra time when Chelsea took control. Frank Sinclair, a villain in the 1994 FA Cup Final defeat when conceding a penalty and slipping to allow Mark Hughes to score, became the hero in this match. He started the move that ended with his header finding the corner of the Middlesbrough net to open the scoring. Chelsea's second goal came from Roberto Di Matteo. A corner played into the near post was not cleared by the Boro defence and Di Matteo was able to side foot the ball into the net on the half-volley. Di Matteo had come back to haunt Middlesbrough as he had scored the opening goal when the same sides met in the 1997 FA Cup Final the previous season. Once again Chelsea had won 2–0.

Road to Wembley

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Chelsea

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Round 3: Chelsea 1–1 Blackburn Rovers

(Chelsea won 4–1 on penalties)

Round 4: Chelsea 2–1 Southampton

Quarter-final: Ipswich Town 2–2 Chelsea

(Chelsea won 4–1 on penalties)

Semi-final, 1st leg: Arsenal 2–1 Chelsea

Semi-final, 2nd leg: Chelsea 3–1 Arsenal

Middlesbrough

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Round 2, 1st leg: Middlesbrough 1–0 Barnet

Round 2, 2nd leg: Barnet 0–2 Middlesbrough

Round 3: Middlesbrough 2–0 Sunderland

 

Round 4: Middlesbrough 2–1 Bolton Wanderers a.e.t.

Quarter-final: Reading 0–1 Middlesbrough

 

Semi-final, 1st leg: Liverpool 2–1 Middlesbrough

Semi-final, 2nd leg: Middlesbrough 2–0 Liverpool

Match facts

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Chelsea2–0 (a.e.t.)Middlesbrough
Sinclair   95'
Di Matteo   107'
Report
Attendance: 77,698
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chelsea
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Middlesbrough
GK 1   Ed de Goey
RWB 2   Dan Petrescu   75'
CB 5   Frank Leboeuf  
CB 12   Michael Duberry
CB 20   Frank Sinclair
LWB 14   Graeme Le Saux  
CM 16   Roberto Di Matteo
CM 11   Dennis Wise (c)  
CM 24   Eddie Newton
CF 25   Gianfranco Zola
CF 10   Mark Hughes     83'
Substitutes:
GK 13   Kevin Hitchcock
DF 6   Steve Clarke   75'
FW 19   Tore André Flo   83'
Manager:
  Gianluca Vialli
GK 1   Mark Schwarzer
RB 2   Gianluca Festa
CB 4   Steve Vickers
CB 5   Nigel Pearson (c)
LB 3   Vladimír Kinder
RM 10   Paul Merson
CM 6   Robbie Mustoe
CM 7   Neil Maddison   102'
LM 11   Andy Townsend  
CF 8   Hamilton Ricard   65'
CF 9   Marco Branca
Substitutes:
DF 12   Curtis Fleming
FW 13   Mikkel Beck   102'
MF 14   Paul Gascoigne     65'
Manager:
  Bryan Robson