Middlesbrough's 1-0 win over Wrexham in the Carabao Cup has been marred by controversy over the referee's decision to book Wrexham's Sam Smith for simulation.

What happened?

Wrexham's first competitive outing of the 2026/27 season ended in disappointment as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup. The Red Dragons were in first-round action against Middlesbrough on Friday evening at the Riverside Stadium, having previously drawn 2-2 with Boro in their final game of last campaign.

Why it matters for Middlesbrough

The win marks a positive start to the season for Middlesbrough, who are currently 5th in the Championship with 80 points from 46 games last season. They are 15 points behind leaders Coventry in the title race.

What comes next?

Wrexham will now face Welsh rivals Cardiff City on Monday, August 17, in their first Championship match of the new campaign. They only just missed out on the play-offs last season, but now the format has been expanded to include six teams instead of four, the Dragons' chances of making it to the knockout phase should increase.

Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock praised his team's performance, saying: "There were a few moments in the second-half where it didn't quite fall for us. Sam was a bit unlucky when he slipped on that one when the ref bizarrely booked him. I can't quite understand that."

Despite suffering defeat in their first proper game of the season, though, Parkinson still thinks there were a lot of positives to take away. He continued: "In any game of football, it's separated on those moments, and I felt we had enough. Neither keeper's had a lot to do. Obviously the big moment was the keeper saving with his legs from Sam in the first half. We sunk a bit at times, but so did they towards the end when we got control back of the game. We just couldn't quite find the moment, but a lot of positives for us."

Wrexham will now face Welsh rivals Cardiff City on Monday, August 17, in their first Championship match of the new campaign. They only just missed out on the play-offs last season, but now the format has been expanded to include six teams instead of four, the Dragons' chances of making it to the knockout phase should increase.

Goals this season

Middlesbrough have scored 72 goals this season and conceded 47, with a goal difference of +25.

League standing

Middlesbrough are currently 5th in the Championship with 80 points from 46 games last season, 15 points behind leaders Coventry in the title race.

Next fixture

Middlesbrough's next fixture is against Birmingham on February 20, 2027, at home, where they will face 10th-placed Birmingham in the Championship.