Villarreal upset Boro but little damage done

Villarreal 2 Middlesbrough 0

Goals from Antonio Guayre and Javi Venta either side of the interval ensured manager Steve McClaren’s tactical gamble backfired at the Estadio El Madrigal.

But Middlesbrough remain in the driving seat for a top-three finish in Group E and with it a place in the knockout stages, with only Egaleo capable of spoiling the party.

For the initial 37 minutes, Boro were composed and organised and there appeared little to fear.

It took 25 minutes for Santiago Cazorla, for the home side, to produce a shot from the corner of the penalty area which was easy for Mark Schwarzer.

Juan Manuel Reina had spilled into touch the only previous effort prior to that - and Boro’s only chance of the first half - from Stewart Downing in the 19th minute.

But a Downing mistake midway inside the Boro half just after the half hour allowed Juan Roman Riquelme break for goal and an eventual 20-yard shot he scuffed thanks to a shirt pull from Gareth Southgate.

It led to a yellow card for the Boro skipper and a free-kick opportunity for Riquelme - but Schwarzer saved his curled effort round the wall low to his left. With a number of Villarreal players closing in, quick thinking from the Australia international resulted in a hefty clearance into the stands behind the goal.

But four minutes later Schwarzer was comprehensively beaten as a superb through ball from Riquelme found Guayre who fired home a flashing, first-time right-foot drive from 12 yards.

After the break, Viduka, who came on for Job, provided the initial spark, embarking on one jinking run which led to an unlikely ball into Boateng despite being surrounded by several yellow shirts.

A shot ballooned into the crowd soon after that spoke volumes about a man who came into this match without a goal in his previous 10 appearances, only to then underline his ability a minute later. The Australia international twisted and turned his way past two Villarreal defenders before unleashing a low shot which went inches wide.

After Hector Pont had blazed over a Guayre pull-back in the 66th minute when he should have scored, Riggott was then denied an equaliser by the linesman’s flag as he was marginally offside in touching home a Viduka shot-on-the-turn.

Then, after Michael Reiziger came on, Villarreal clinched victory when Javi Venta played a delightful one-two on the edge of the area with Riquelme before rifling a drive into the roof of the net.

VILLARREAL: Reina, Javi Venta, Rodriguez, Quique Alvarez, Arruabarrena, Josico, Arzo, Hector Font, Riquelme, Santi Cazorla, Guayre (Xisco Nadal 87), Pena (Armando Sa 87).

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, McMahon (Reiziger 72), Riggott, Southgate, Queudrue, Nemeth, Doriva (Hasselbaink 45), Zenden, Boateng, Downing, Job (Viduka 45), Reiziger.

Referee: Jan Wegereef (Holland).