Boro taste defeat

Villarreal 2 Middlesbrough 0

Middlesbrough tasted defeat in Europe for the first time, but barring a mathematical miracle will find themselves in the hat next month for the last 32 of the UEFA Cup.

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.

The Greek minnows prop up the table without a point and a goal from their two matches, but would have to win their other two games, and Boro lose at home to Partizan Belgrade on December 15 to deny McClaren’s side a place in the third round.

Much of the pre-match build-up had focused on the prospect of racism rearing its ugly head on Spanish soil after the distasteful events of the previous week.

Coming into this game, repercussions were still being felt after England’s black stars were abused by Spanish fans throughout last week’s friendly at the Bernabeu Stadium.

At the same venue on Tuesday, Bayer Leverkusen players were abused by Real Madrid fans, resulting in the spotlight swiftly turning on the Estadio El Madrigal and the Villarreal supporters.

Thankfully, despite a vocal, partisan crowd spurred on by the beat of a number of drums and with Boro’s black players Joseph-Desire Job and George Boateng on the pitch, the tone of their chants appeared to be in support of their team.

McClaren’s predominantly defensive formation, though, was hardly conducive to silencing the drums as he gambled by naming strikers Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka, as well as influential midfielder Ray Parlour, on the substitutes’ bench.

McClaren opted for a 4-5-1 formation, with Job ploughing the lone furrow up front, while Szilard Nemeth and Doriva came into midfield for their first starts since the Carling Cup third round win over Coventry four weeks ago.

For 37 minutes, Boro were composed and organised and there appeared little to fear from a Villarreal side that last season reached the semi-finals of this competition, but are currently struggling in 13th in the Primera Liga.

It took the home side 25 minutes to produce their first chance, and that was a shot from the corner of the penalty area from Santiago Cazorla 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, the left winger firing in a 15-yard effort after running onto a through-ball from Doriva.

But a Downing mistake midway inside the Boro half just after the half hour allowed Juan Roman Riquelme, once hailed as the new Maradona, a 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 on the rebound, quick thinking from the Australia international resulted in a hefty clearance into the stands behind the goal as he lay prone on the ground.

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

McClaren made much-needed changes at the interval, switching to 4-4-2 and bringing on Hasselbaink and Viduka for Doriva and Job.

Viduka 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 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 on the edge of the area 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 for his first game for three months after a shoulder injury, 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.