Deulofeu stars as Everton sink Middlesbrough to reach last four

Gerard Deulofeu was the star of the show as Everton won 2-0 at Middlesbrough to reach the League Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2008.

The former Barcelona prodigy produced a magnificent first-half display as he followed up a wonderful solo goal with a blur of stepovers to provide the assist for Romelu Lukaku to head in the second.

Aitor Karanka's side had not conceded at home in 10 hours of football prior to Deulofeu's brilliance, but they struggled to combat Everton's attacking threat throughout and rarely looked like troubling Joel Robles in the visiting goal.

Kike went closest with a deft lob that dropped just wide while Stewart Downing and Christian Stuani had half chances after the break.

Everton always looked in control and are now playing with the confidence and attacking threat to suggest they are serious contenders to win their first ever League Cup and end a 21-year wait for silverware.

20' - GOAL! MIDDLESBROUGH 0-1 EVERTON. Gerard Deulofeu gets free in the centre circle and races towards goal. The youngster cuts back inside and bamboozles two with quick feet before curving a low shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

28' - GOAL! MIDDLESBROUGH 0-2 EVERTON. More magnificence from Deulofeu. The playmaker dazzles his man with a blur of stepovers before clipping in a cross from the right that Lukaku brilliantly angles into the far corner.

37' - MIDDLESBROUGH CHANCE! The ball ricochets to Kike just outside the area and he attempts a disguised lob that dinks over the advancing Robles but just wide of the keeper's right-hand post.

59' - MIDDLESBROUGH CHANCE! A probing run from Stuani sees the ball break to Downing 25 yards out. The former Liverpool winger wastes no time taking aim at goal, rifling in a fizzing attempt that Robles is forced to push over the crossbar.

70' - MIDDLESBROUGH CHANCE! Stuani stretches to meet a right-wing cross but can't get over it enough and flashes his header just over the bar.

85' - EVERTON CHANCE! Coleman breaks free down the right and cuts it back into the path of Mirallas who sees his low drive beaten away by Mejias. Lukaku couldn't quite get there to pick up the pieces for a tap-in.

No player has been directly involved in more League Cup goals this season than Gerard Deulofeu (2 goals, 3 assists).

Lukaku has now scored in five consecutive games for Everton.

The Toffees are unbeaten in seven matches in all competitions v Boro, winning five and drawing two.

(Stats courtesy of Opta and Infostrada)

Is this the season for Everton's starlets? The Toffees have never won the League Cup and have not added to the Goodison Park trophy cabinet since their 1995 FA Cup triumph, but they have a great chance to change that this season. The Blues have a vibrant, young, goal-hungry side (six players in the starting XI v Boro were under the age of 24) and have nothing to fear in the last four. Roberto Martinez won the FA Cup in 2013 at Wigan and, with the greatest of respect, that was with a far inferior side. The likes of John Stones, Ross Barkley, Gerard Deulofeu and Romelu Lukaku are young talents with a very bright future at the summit of the game. There's no doubt the big boys will come calling for these players in the not-too-distant future and Everton will be keen to make the most of them while they remain on Merseyside. This competition could well be the best opportunity for this group of starlets to write themselves into Goodison folklore and they will be keen to grasp it before they eventually move on to pastures new.

Gerard Deulofeu (Everton). Effectively won the tie with two devastating flashes of genius in the first half. A lovely run, bewitching feet and a clinical finish was followed by a wonderful assist where he followed up eye-watering trickery with a deadly final ball for Lukaku.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Mejias 6, Nsue 6, Ayala 6, Gibson 6, Amorebieta 6, Stuani 7, Leadbitter 6, Clayton 5, de Pena 5, Downing 6, Kike 6. Subs: Forshaw 6, Adomah 5, Gibson n/a.

EVERTON: Robles 6, Galloway 7, Funes Mori 7, Stones 7, Coleman 6, Barry 6, Osman 6, Cleverley 6, Barkley 7, Deulofeu 8, Lukaku 7. Subs: Baines 6, Mirallas 5, Naismith n/a.