Two sides from two different tiers of English football lock horns in the EFL Cup as League One outfit Port Vale host Championship side Middlesbrough.
Despite hovering around the middle of the League One table, Port Vale have shown signs of improvement with two back-to-back victories against Exeter City and Wigan Athletic. Alfie Devine scored the all important goal in the previous leg as they dumped Mansfield Town out of the competition.
Middlesbrough, on the other hand, are also seeded in the 13th position in the Championship table with just nine wins from their 22 games. Their wretched run of three consecutive defeats ended after the side defeated Swansea during the weekend. A late penalty from Emmanuel Latte Lath helped them overcome Exeter City in a five goal thriller in the Round of 16 of the competition.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Port Vale vs Middlesbrough kick-off time
| Date: | December 19, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 7:45 pm GMT |
| Venue: | Vale Park |
Port Vale will host Middlesbrough at the Vale Park with kick-off scheduled at 7:45 pm GMT in the UK.
How to watch Port Vale vs Middlesbrough online - TV channels & live streams
The EFL Cup fixture will not be available to watch in the UK but you watch the game from anywhere in the world with a VPN, or virtual private network, such as NordVPN which will let you tune in to your home coverage if you are abroad. Check out our guide to the best VPN services to use for watching sport when you are abroad. Fans can also get live updates on GOAL's Live Match Centre.
Team news & squads
Port Vale team news
Dan Jones, Mitchell Clarke, and Josh Thomas remain out of contention for the EFL Cup clash for the hosts while forward James Wilson is yet to return to full fitness after being sidelined in October.
Port Vale predicted XI: Ripley; Smith, Lowe, Debrah; Massey, Arblaster, Ojo, Grant, Chislett, Devine; Garrity
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Ripley, Leutwiler |
| Defenders: | Smith, Iacovitti, Cass, Balmer, Debrah, Jones, Sang, Clark |
| Midfielders: | Conlon, Ojo, Arblaster, Devine, Chislett, Grant, Lowe, Garrity |
| Forwards: | Massey, Plant, Loft, Ikpeazu, Thomas, Wilson |
Middlesbrough team news
Tom Glover is touted to replace Seny Dieng between the sticks for the visitors with the latter hobbling off the pitch late in the clash against Swansea.
The other absentees include Paddy McNair, Tommy Smith, Darragh Lenihan, Hayden Hackney, Lewis O'Brien and Marcus Forss while Australian midfielder Riley McGree is yet to heal from his foot surgery.
Middlesbrough predicted XI: Glover; Dijksteel, Fry, Van den Berg, Bangura; Howson, Barlaser; Jones, Crooks, Greenwood; Latte Lath
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Dieng, Glover, J. Jones |
| Defenders: | Fry, Clarke, Van den Berg, Bangura, Engel, Coulson, Dijksteel |
| Midfielders: | Barlaser, Howson, Greenwood, Crooks, I. Jones |
| Forwards: | Latte Lath, Coburn, Rogers, Silvera, Gilbert |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Apr 1998 | Port Vale 0-1 Middlesbrough | Championship |
| 25 Oct 1997 | Middlesbrough 2-1 Port Vale | Championship |
| 26 Mar 1995 | Middlesbrough 3-0 Port Vale | Championship |
| 17 Sept 1994 | Port Vale 2-1 Middlesbrough | Championship |