Match stats: Borini's League Cup pedigree

Fabio Borini will be hoping to continue a fine League Cup streak when Liverpool kick off their campaign at home to Middlesbrough in the third round tonight - here are all of the pre-match facts and figures.

Liverpool have won this competition a record eight times - three more than the next best team, Aston Villa.

These two sides have previously been drawn against each other five times, with Middlesbrough winning three ties.

But the last time they met, Liverpool recorded a 2-0 home win, with Neil Mellor scoring both in November 2004 - and the Reds went on to reach the final in Cardiff.

The Reds have scored in 47 of their last 49 League Cup games, only failing to hit the net during that time at Chelsea in December 2007 and Manchester United last season.

The Reds have lost only 10 of their 103 home games in this competition.

Fernando Torres is the last Liverpool player to score a League Cup hat-trick, doing so at Reading seven years ago this week.

The Spaniard also scored the last hat-trick by a Reds player against tonight's opponents - at Anfield in February 2008.

If Steven Gerrard scores he will become only the ninth player to reach double figures for the Reds in this competition.

Borini scored three goals in Sunderland's run to the final of this tournament last season. He found the net against Chelsea in the quarter-finals, Manchester United in the semi-finals and the showpiece with Manchester City.

Mario Balotelli scored on his first Manchester City appearance in the League Cup three years ago this week, against Birmingham City. He found the net twice in his previous three matches in the competition.

Goalkeeper Brad Jones made 76 appearances for Middlesbrough in seven seasons at the Riverside, including three in the League Cup.

In this season's competition, Boro won 3-0 at Oldham Athletic in the first round and accounted for Preston North End by a 3-1 scoreline at home in the last stage.

Their last win at Anfield came in the league in March 1976, when Terry Cooper and John Hickton scored in a 2-0 win. Since then, they have drawn six and lost 19 of 25 trips to Liverpool in all competitions.

The last lower division team to keep a League Cup clean sheet against Liverpool was Middlesbrough - in the semi-final in 1998.

On Saturday, Boro recorded their biggest win under Aitor Karanka's management by beating Brentford 4-0 at home. Grant Leadbitter, Albert Adomah, Patrick Bamford and substitute Kike were all on target.

Only once in their last 10 fixtures in league and cup have Middlesbrough conceded more than once in a game - a 3-2 home defeat by Sheffield Wednesday last month.

They have won each of their last three away games - all in the league - at Cardiff City (1-0), Huddersfield Town (2-1) and Bolton Wanderers (2-1).

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