Boro rotten in Basel rain

Thursday, 30, Mar 2006 09:50

Middlesbrough crashed to a 2-0 defeat away at Basel in the Uefa Cup quarter-final first leg and will need a superb home performance to make it through to their first ever European semi-final.

Boro matched the home side in the first half in terrible conditions, but could not respond to two Basel goals just before the interval.

The away side did not create a real chance until the 33rd minute and did not look much like scoring all night.

Basel were far from inspirational themselves but struck twice just before the half-time whistle was blown.

Matias Delgado cut in from the wing on 43 minutes and fired a shot which Mark Schwarzer had covered until it jumped up from an unfortunate bounce and beat him.

David Degen then doubled the lead before Middlesbrough were able to react. The ball was slipped in behind Emanuel Pogatetz and Degen made it 2-0.

Boro were unable to force the vital away goal in the second-half and came closest from a couple of late corners.

Chris Riggott smashed a header off the bar and then Ugo Ehiogu made the Basel keeper Pascal Zuberbuhler pull off a great save to retain the 2-0 lead.