Chelsea will be hoping to take a step closer to claiming their first silverware under manager Mauricio Pochettino as they take on Championship side Middlesbrough in this Carabao Cup semifinal, first leg at the Riverside Stadium.
With a top four finish in the English Premier League looking unlikely, the Blues will be looking at cup success as a means of qualifying for Europe next season, and come into this semifinal as strong favorites.
Tuesday’s match marks Middlesbrough’s first appearance in a League Cup semifinal since their victorious 2003-04 campaign. Bossed by former West Ham and Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick, Boro are currently in midtable after a poor start to the season, but have won three of their last five games.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live wherever you are in the world.
Cole Palmer has been Chelsea’s standout player this season, having registered eight goals so far this term following his move from Manchester City.
Middlesbrough vs. Chelsea: When and where?
The Carabao Cup semifinal first leg between Middlesbrough and Chelsea takes place at the Riverside Stadium on Tuesday, Jan. 9. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. local time in the UK (3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT in the US; and 7 a.m. AEDT on Wednesday, Jan. 10, in Australia).
How to watch the Middlesbrough vs. Chelsea EFL Cup semifinal online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, nonblackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
Livestream the Middlesbrough vs. Chelsea game in the US
Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semifinal, first leg is streaming exclusively live in the US on ESPN Plus.
ESPN’s standalone streaming service costs $11 a month or $110 for an annual subscription. With it, you’ll be able to watch EFL Cup action, as well all of this season’s FA Cup fixtures. Read our ESPN Plus review.
Livestream the Middlesbrough vs. Chelsea game in the UK
Live broadcast rights for the Carabao Cup final in the UK are with Sky Sports. Tuesday’s match will be shown on its Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football channels. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via its Sky Go app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a Now account, and a Now Sports membership, to stream the game.
Sky subsidiary Now (formerly Now TV) offers streaming access to Sky Sports channels with a Now Sports membership. You can get a day of access for £12, or sign up to a monthly plan from £26 per month right now.
Livestream the Middlesbrough vs. Chelsea game in Canada
If you want to stream the EFL Cup live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to DAZN Canada. The service has exclusive broadcast rights to this match as well as every UEFA Champions League and Europa League match this season.
A DAZN subscription currently costs CA$30 a month or CA$200 a year and will also give you access to the Champions League, Europa League and EFL Championship soccer, plus Six Nations rugby and WTA tennis.
As well as dedicated apps for iOS and Android, there’s a wide range of support for set-top boxes and smart TVs.
Livestream the Middlesbrough vs. Chelsea game in Australia
Football fans Down Under can watch the EFL Cup on streaming service beIN Sports, which has exclusive broadcast rights to this tournament in Australia this season.
beIN Sports is available via pay TV packages such as Foxtel, but cord-cutters can also sign up to beIN Sports as a standalone streaming subscription.
Priced at AU$20 per month, beIN is currently offering a free two-week trial. As well as Carabao Cup action, a subscription will also give you access to Ligue 1, Serie A, Bundesliga and EFL football coverage.
Quick tips for streaming the Carabao Cup using a VPN
- With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming this cup clash may vary.
- If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
- If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
- All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
- And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
