Middlesbrough F.C. in European football

History

Middlesbrough’s first European campaign came after they won the 2003–04 League Cup, which earned them a spot in the 2004–05 UEFA Cup. Their opening tie was against Baník Ostrava, and they won the home leg 3–0 thanks to a goal from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and two from Mark Viduka. The return match ended 1–1, with James Morrison scoring late. In the group stage, Middlesbrough were placed in group E alongside Egaleo, Lazio, Villarreal, and Partizan.

They kicked off with a 1–0 victory over Egaleo, then beat Lazio 2–0. A 2–0 loss away to Villarreal followed, but a 3–0 win against Partizan saw them top the group. In the round of 32, they met Grazer AK. The first leg finished 2–2 after Grazer twice came from behind.

In the second leg, Middlesbrough fell behind to a Mario Bazina goal, but Morrison equalised before half-time and Hasselbaink netted the winner, giving them a 4–3 aggregate victory. The round of 16 brought Sporting CP. At home, Middlesbrough trailed 3–0 before late goals from Joseph-Désiré Job and Chris Riggott gave them hope. They couldn’t score in the away leg, however, and a late Pedro Barbosa goal sealed a 4–2 aggregate defeat.

After finishing seventh in the 2004–05 Premier League, Middlesbrough qualified for the 2005–06 UEFA Cup. They faced Skoda Xanthi in the first round, winning the first leg 2–0 with goals from George Boateng and Viduka, then drawing 0–0 away. In group D, they were drawn with AZ, Litex Lovech, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, and Grasshopper. They beat Grasshopper 1–0, Dnipro 3–0, drew 0–0 away to AZ, and finished with a 2–0 win over Litex Lovech.