Middlesbrough defender Lukas Engel was left full of pride after their Carabao Cup semifinal against Chelsea.

Boro won the first-leg 1-0, with the second-leg held in London next week.

Engel told Bold: "It is the biggest challenge personally to play such a match. Standing in front of 35,000 spectators against Chelsea in a cup semi-final... I haven't tried anything bigger.

"A few years ago I was over to see Chelsea play when I was on Christmas break, and now I was there myself. It was a special feeling, a crazy release.

"The stadium was packed, and I could clearly feel how much it meant to the fans. Our kit man said he hadn't experienced an atmosphere like that in the stadium since European football was in Middlesbrough.

"It was a relief when the whistle blew, especially because my family was sitting in the stadium. They were almost even more proud and happy than I was.

"My mother had tears in her eyes, and my father had written me five or six messages during the match because he was so proud. It was a big day."