Facing their third Championship club on the road, the Eagles put three past Darren Moore’s West Bromwich Albion in the last round to reach this stage whilst Boro, who currently sit third in the Championship, won 4-3 on penalties away to Preston North End.
Former Palace boss Tony Pulis last came up against Palace in the 2017 Asia Trophy in Hong Kong, with Palace winning that game 2-0. Pulis has a solid managerial record against the Eagles, however, having won eight of the 15 games managed versus the south Londoners.
More encouragingly, Palace have won each of their last three matches against Wednesday night's opposition, including a 4-1 home victory in February 2013 watched by then-England boss Hodgson, in which Glenn Murray netted a brace.
Middlesbrough have the tightest defence of any Championship side so far this season, having conceded only eight goals from 15 games. This is consistent for both the Teessiders, who conceded the joint third fewest goals last season, and Pulis, whose reputation is built on his tight-knit defensive sides.
Palace also have a strong defensive record this season, having conceded joint fewest goals of any Premier League club in the bottom 10.
Team news
Ryan Shotton is currently sidelined with a knee injury and will not be able to feature for the Teesside club while Christian Benteke and Joel Ward remain unavailable for Palace.
Did you know?
England manager Gareth Southgate played almost identical amounts for both Palace and Boro, appearing in 152 games for the former and 160 for the latter where he won the 2004 League Cup – Middlesbrough’s only major honour. He went on to manage Middlesbrough between 2006-2009, replacing Steve McClaren who left to manage the England national team.
Head-to-head
Boro wins | Draws | Palace wins | |
League | 15 | 10 | 17 |
FA Cup | 0 | 1 | 1 |
League Cup | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Other | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Total | 17 | 11 | 21 |
The ref
The referee for this fixture will be Paul Tierney, who has only ever officiated one Palace victory. He has awarded 13 yellow cards from just four games.
Key games elsewhere
This round of the League Cup is throwing up several exciting fixtures, including West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur, Frank Lampard’s Derby County against his former club Chelsea and Manchester City playing host to Fulham.
Remember, there will be a result on the night - in the event of a draw after 90 minutes, there is no extra time - and the game will be decided on penalties.
If Palace win, the club will enter the quarter-finals in the week commencing Monday 17th December. The draw will be made after the Derby County v Chelsea game live on Sky Sports.
Big game flashback
Palace emphatically won the 1994 Division One title by claiming victory on the penultimate day of their season away to Boro. Gareth Southgate, David Whyte and Chris Armstrong combined to notch up the Eagles’ three goals in a convincing 3-2 win.
Middlesbrough finished 9th that season and Palace were promoted back into the Premier League at the first time of asking. The following year however, Palace were relegated back to Division One as four teams were sent down from the top-flight.
Is the game on TV in the UK?
No! But you can listen to full radio commentary of the game for just £1.49 on Palace Audio. Available on the official Palace app and on eagles.cpfc.co.uk, this is a must for any supporter avoiding a long trip up north and wishing to stay close to the action. Buy now!
Live updates will be published on our official Twitter page and highlights will be available on Palace TV at midnight.
Tickets and travel
Tickets for the game are currently on general sale at £15 for adults, £10 for seniors (65+) and £5 for under 18s. Season ticket holders may purchase at the discounted prices of £10 for adults, £5 for seniors and £2 for under 18s. These can be bought online, in person or over the phone.
If travelling by car, leave the A1 (M) at junction 49, signposted to Teesside, and join the A168, which after approximately 11 miles will become the A19. Approximately 19 miles later take the A66 eastbound towards Middlesbrough town centre. Stay on A66 past the town centre (on your right) and follow signs to the stadium, which you will see on your left.
Train services run from King’s Cross with one change en route. It’s approximately a 15-20 minute walk to the Riverside Stadium from Middlesbrough Station.