Boro require Dutch courage

Middlesbrough will face last season’s UEFA Cup semi-finalists AZ Alkmaar in Group D of this season’s competition.

The Teessiders are also up against Ukrainian side Dnipro, who thrashed Hibernian 5-1 on aggregate in the first round, Swiss outfit Grasshopper and Litex Lovech of Bulgaria.

Bolton could have a trip to southern Spain to look forward to having been drawn alongside Sevilla in Group H. Also in Bolton’s group are Turkish club Besiktas, Zenit St Petersburg of Russia and Portugal’s Vitoria Guimaraes.

Boro booked their place in the group stage for the second successive year by beating Greek side Xanthi 2-0 on aggregate in the first round.

Two 2-1 victories over Bulgaria’s Lokomotiv Plovdiv were enough to take Sam Allardyce’s men into the groups in their first foray into European competition.

In the group phase, each club plays two matches at home and two away on the following dates: October 20, November 3, November 24, November 30 or December 1 and December 14 or 15.

The winners, runners-up and third-placed sides from each group progress to the last 32 where they are joined by the eight third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage.

At that point the competition reverts to a two-legged knockout format up to the one-off final at the Philips Stadium in Eindhoven, Holland on May 10 next year.

Bolton boss Sam Allardyce reacted with caution to his side's first visit to the UEFA Cup group stages.

Allardyce knows his side have a tough task ahead having struggled to overcome Plovdiv in the previous round.

Allardyce said: “We are in an excellent group with some very good sides who will make it difficult for us.

“At this level all matches will be hard but we are here on merit and we look forward to seeing where we might be travelling in Europe.”