Quick-fire Hasselbaink gets Boro off to a flier

Grasshoppers 0 Middlesbrough 1

The Dutchman fired the Teessiders ahead with just 10 minutes gone, and had Szilard Nemeth taken advantage of two golden opportunities to make it 2-0 before the break, the result would not have been in any doubt by the time the half-time whistle sounded.

However, he did not and the home side who had an equaliser harshly ruled out for offside dominated the second 45 minutes to such an extent they will feel unfortunate to have lost.

Boro dominated the opening 45 minutes and should have been out of sight after pulling a defence which included former Arsenal stopper Igors Stepanovs all over the place.

Goalkeeper Fabio Coltorti had already saved a Mendieta free-kick and blocked a Viduka shot on the turn with his legs when he was forced to pick the ball out of his own net after Nemeth and Doriva had combined to present Hasselbaink with the simplest of chances to open his season's account.

Nemeth should have made it 2-0 within six minutes, but inexplicably chose to try to pass to Hasselbaink instead of shooting.

The Swiss side were unfortunate not to be level on 21 minutes when keeper Mark Schwarzer had cause to be grateful to the referee's assistant.

The Australian spilled Rogerio's long-range shot far enough for Eduardo to reach the rebound first and slam it past him into the empty net only for an offside flag to rescue him, although television replays suggested the decision had been harsh on the striker.

Schwarzer was called upon in the 50th minute to keep out Cabanas' well-struck drive, and as the pressure started to mount, Eduardo headed wide from Dos Santos' cross.

Doriva should have killed the game off on 56 minutes after Mendieta had torn Grasshoppers apart, but the Brazilian drilled his low effort wide of the far post with Viduka completely unmarked.

Rogerio kept Schwarzer on his toes with an audacious backheeled effort from Kim Jaggy's cross on the hour, and the pressure was mounting.

Riggott blocked an Eduardo piledriver on 70 minutes with Boro retreating further and further into their own half, and then Schwarzer had to claim a swerving Cabanas free-kick.

Schwarzer pulled off a fine save to keep out Rogerio's 78th-minute header but Grasshoppers could find a breakthrough.

GRASSHOPPERS: Coltorti, Stepanovs, Jaggy, Chihab (Toure 82), Mitreski, Renggli (Salatic 87), Cabanas, Dos Santos, Sutter, Eduardo, Rogerio.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Parnaby, Riggott, Southgate, Pogatetz, Mendieta (Queudrue 79), Boateng, Doriva, Nemeth (Morrison 67), Hasselbaink, Viduka (Yakubu 85).

Referee: Espen Berntsen (Norway).