Boro were dissatisfied in their first home game of 2025, drawing 1-1 with Cardiff City.
Middlesbrough’s disappointing inconsistency cost them two points in a sluggish 1-1 draw in their opening home game of the season in 2025.
Boro took an early lead with Emmanuel Latte Lath, but Calum Chambers, a former loan player, equalised just ten minutes later. Boro failed to make possessional dominance pay in a game characterised by both their own lack of forward zip and Cardiff’s steadiness.
Michael Carrick made three changes following the New Year’s Day triumph over Hull City. Neto Borges replaced Lukas Engel at left-back after the Dane made his first start in four months. Ben Doak and Delano Burgzorg were rewarded for their impact from the bench, replacing Isaiah Jones and Riley McGree. Doak’s participation comes amid uncertainty over his future following two Premier League offers on Friday.
Latte Lath has already sparked a lot of conjecture this month. As if the pair’s significance to Boro’s promotion prospects wasn’t clear enough, they combined in the 12th minute to put Boro ahead. Doak skinned Callum O’Dowda on the right before pinging a low cross into the front post. Latte Lath did his duty by moving ahead of Dimitrios Goutas at the front post and flicking home first time.
Boro looked bright early on, and an aggressive Cardiff side appeared wide open. Doak was having a lot of fun down the right, and he swiftly left O’Dowda on a tightrope when another dart down the right resulted in a foul and clear booking.
As Cardiff settled and began to tighten up at the back, Boro gave them a little gift. Anfernee Dijksteel recovered just in time to get the correct side of Ollie Tanner and prevent him from scoring after a tempting cross to the back post. When the ball landed at their feet, they were both on the ground. In a poor goal conceded, Dael Fry ran in to clear, but a late touch away from him caused him to panic and try to flick it away instead. With not quite enough on it, it fell to former Boro loanee Chambers, who clinically shot into the far top corner beyond a hapless Tom Glover.
Boro remained mostly in control of the game, although their momentum dipped after the equaliser in the 22nd minute. Boro struggled to break down Cardiff’s defence and create chances in an uneventful run up to halftime. They frequently found their paths blocked since things moved slowly up to the final third, and many offsides on their left flank didn’t help matters.
Boro relied on patience, however they needed a little more zip in their ballplay. However, in a game that did not flow smoothly due to a confusing officiating performance, Boro showed little indications of progress after the break, and the Bluebirds continued to irritate them.
Boro were fighting for momentum in a lifeless effort after their goal, despite being bolstered by home fans. With 20 minutes remaining, Carrick tried something new: he brought on Isaiah Jones and shifted Doak to the left.
It worked to rekindle Boro’s attack, with Jones immediately energetic from the right and Doak, who had struggled to make the same impression since the break, now resurgent with a new full-back to attack.
Moments after Doak was about to pull out for Latte Lath after a strong drive to the byline, Hayden Hackney slid Jones in behind on the wing. His cross was well-placed for Latte Lath, but the Ivorian struggled to get much power behind his header. It was close, but Jak Alnwick saw it well enough to make the save.
Gilbert came next in for Boro after his exploits at Hull City, and he had 15 minutes to impact the outcome this time. However, shortly after coming on, the visitors almost regained the lead with their first shot since the 22nd minute equaliser. Ruben Colwill broke free from the defence at the back post and received a cross, but his header was off target. Boro was really relieved.
In a frustrating ending for Boro, neither side had any more chances, with Gilbert or any of his Boro teammates this time able to produce some late magic. Against a mediocre Cardiff side, it’s two more painful points dropped this season. After a poor home record in 2024, this wasn’t the best way to start 2025. Referee Tom Nield left Teesside an unpopular man following a poor refereeing performance, but the truth is that Boro must do so much more to win these types of games.
The good news is that it did not have a significant impact on Boro’s promotion chances. Blackburn Rovers and West Brom dropped early points, while Watford lost to Sheffield United, keeping Carrick’s side in fifth place. It was just another squandered opportunity to boost their promotion credentials.
Leave a Reply