Doncaster Rovers welcome Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 18:30 local time at The Keepmoat Stadium. The hosts enter this cup tie searching for an improvement after a difficult sequence of results, while the visitors have produced a more effective recent attacking return despite showing defensive vulnerability. Doncaster needed a penalty shootout to overcome Stockport County in the previous round, whereas Middlesbrough recorded a 1-0 victory over Wrexham in their opening match of the competition. With both sides looking to progress, their contrasting recent numbers provide an intriguing backdrop to this Carabao Cup fixture.

Doncaster Rovers Recent Form and Key Statistics

Doncaster Rovers have struggled to generate momentum, recording no victories, two draws and three defeats across their last five matches. They have averaged only 0.4 goals scored per game during that period while conceding 1.2, highlighting the attacking challenge facing the home side. Their latest result was a 0-0 draw against Barnsley on August 22, another match in which they were unable to find the net.

Their start in the Carabao Cup has nevertheless kept them in contention. Doncaster advanced after a penalty shootout against Stockport County, with their competition record listed as one draw from one match. Their Carabao Cup averages stand at 1.0 goal scored and 1.0 conceded per game. Progress has often been difficult for the club in this tournament: Doncaster have moved beyond the second round only once in the last eight seasons, reaching the third round last term before being eliminated by Tottenham Hotspur.

Home results also leave room for improvement. Doncaster are winless in their last three competitive matches at their own ground, while their broader five-game sequence contains three defeats. One consistent feature has been the limited first-half scoring in their fixtures. Fewer than 1.5 first-half goals have been recorded in each of their last 15 matches, and that pattern has also appeared in their last 10 home games.

• Last five matches: no wins, two draws and three defeats.
• Recent scoring average: 0.4 goals scored and 1.2 conceded per game.
• Latest result: a 0-0 draw with Barnsley.
• First-half trend: under 1.5 goals in the last 15 matches and last 10 home fixtures.

Middlesbrough Recent Form and Key Statistics

Middlesbrough arrive with two victories, one draw and two defeats from their last five matches. Their games have been more productive at both ends, with averages of 1.6 goals scored and 1.8 conceded across that run. Most recently, they suffered a 2-1 defeat against Blackburn Rovers on August 22. Before that loss, they had beaten Lincoln 2-1 after beginning their Carabao Cup campaign with a 1-0 success over Wrexham.

That victory against Wrexham gives Middlesbrough a Carabao Cup record of one win from one, with an average of 1.0 goal scored and no goals conceded in the competition. Their wider defensive record is less secure, however. The visitors have kept only two clean sheets in their last 14 matches and have not recorded a clean sheet this season outside the competition figure supplied for their opening cup match.

Middlesbrough have also gone five away games without a victory when Championship playoff matches are excluded. Even so, they have failed to score in only one of their last 12 competitive fixtures on the road. That combination suggests that their away performances have regularly included attacking output without consistently producing wins.

Corners are another notable feature of Middlesbrough matches. More than 7.5 corners have been recorded in 19 of their last 20 games, while 18 of those 20 fixtures have gone above 8.5 corners. They have also avoided being behind at half-time in 18 of their last 20 matches, indicating that they have usually remained competitive through the opening period.

• Last five matches: two wins, one draw and two defeats.
• Recent scoring average: 1.6 goals scored and 1.8 conceded per game.
• Away scoring: found the net in 11 of their last 12 competitive away matches.
• Corner trend: over 8.5 corners in 18 of the last 20 matches.

Doncaster Rovers vs Middlesbrough Match Analysis

The available numbers make Middlesbrough the more likely winner, with a 51% win probability compared with 26% for Doncaster and 23% for the draw. The decimal match odds reflect the same assessment, pricing the visitors at 1.61, the hosts at 4.50 and the draw at 4.10. Middlesbrough also hold the stronger recent scoring average, although their five-match defensive figure shows why the contest may not be straightforward.

The head-to-head information also favours the away side overall. From the listed meetings, Doncaster have one win, one draw and three defeats, averaging 1.4 goals scored and 1.6 conceded. The most recent encounter finished 4-0 to Middlesbrough on August 12, 2025. Doncaster therefore face a substantial challenge, particularly given their current five-match winless sequence and low recent scoring rate.

However, Middlesbrough’s defensive record offers the hosts a possible route into the contest. The visitors have scored consistently on the road but have collected only two clean sheets in their last 14 matches. Doncaster’s latest 0-0 draw and their average of 0.4 goals across five games point in the opposite direction, making the home team’s ability to convert chances one of the central questions surrounding this preview.

A restrained opening phase would be consistent with Doncaster’s repeated first-half under 1.5-goal trend and Middlesbrough’s record of rarely trailing at the interval. After the break, the visitors’ higher attacking average and Doncaster’s need to compete for cup progression could create more opportunities. The statistical probabilities assign 53% to both teams scoring and the same percentage to over 2.5 goals, leaving only a narrow lean toward a match featuring goals at both ends.

Doncaster Rovers vs Middlesbrough prediction from BetMines: Both Teams To Score (Yes) with 53% probability.