1998 Football League Cup final

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

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.

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 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

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