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
Chelsea Middlesbrough
2 0
After extra time
Date29 March 1998
VenueWembley Stadium, London
Man of the MatchDennis Wise (Chelsea)
RefereePeter Jones (Leicestershire)
Attendance77,698

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

Chelsea

 
 

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

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 1–1 Bolton Wanderers

Quarter-final: Reading 0–1 Middlesbrough

 

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

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

Match facts
Chelsea2–0 (a.e.t.)Middlesbrough
Sinclair  95'
Di Matteo  107'		 Report
Attendance: 77,698
Chelsea
Middlesbrough
GK1 Ed de Goey
RWB2 Dan Petrescu 75'
CB5 Frank Leboeuf
CB12 Michael Duberry
CB20 Frank Sinclair
LWB14 Graeme Le Saux
CM16 Roberto Di Matteo
CM11 Dennis Wise (c)
CM24 Eddie Newton
CF25 Gianfranco Zola
CF10 Mark Hughes 83'
Substitutes:
GK13 Kevin Hitchcock
DF6 Steve Clarke 75'
FW19 Tore André Flo 83'
Manager:
Gianluca Vialli
GK1 Mark Schwarzer
RB2 Gianluca Festa
CB4 Steve Vickers
CB5 Nigel Pearson (c)
LB3 Vladimír Kinder
RM10 Paul Merson
CM6 Robbie Mustoe
CM7 Neil Maddison 102'
LM11 Andy Townsend
CF8 Hamilton Ricard 65'
CF9 Marco Branca
Substitutes:
DF12 Curtis Fleming
FW13 Mikkel Beck 102'
MF14 Paul Gascoigne 65'
Manager:
Bryan Robson
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