Middlesbrough kept their European bandwagon rolling by sealing top spot in Group E with an impressive 3-0 victory over Partizan Belgrade.
Partizan came into the match on the back of an unbeaten 25-match record, but stand-in strikers Szilard Nemeth and Joseph-Desire Job ended that run with goals that ensure ‘Boro will be in the hat for the third-round draw as top seeds.
It took the Premiership side just ten minutes to break the deadlock when Szilard Nemeth hit a straightforward shot that the Partizan goalkeeper really should have held but let slip into the net.
Midway through the half ‘Boro doubled their advantage when Nemeth found Joseph-Desire Job unmarked in the area and he side-footed home from 12 yards.
‘Boro while in control, were handed the occasional wake-up call, with one coming on the hour mark when Nemanja Rnic set up Ilic for a first-time shot from 12 yards but he drilled wide.
The home side were given a further let-off 10 minutes from time when Schwarzer spilled a shot from Vukcevic, and after failing to clear the loose ball, Nadj then blazed over from 12 yards.
McLaren’s men finished the game in style, though, with substitute James Morrison curling home a superb 20-yard left-foot shot to send his side through in style.
Elsewhere, Rangers joined Celtic on the European scrap heap after a Bonaventure Kalou double fired Auxerre to a 2-0 victory at Ibrox.
The home side had only to avoid defeat to progress to the knockout stage but were out-classed by the visitors, who had everything Rangers didn’t – passion, purpose and poise.
Auxerre opened the scoring on ten minutes when Kalou tapped home from close range after some terrible Rangers defending allowed the French side to break from a corner.
Kalou then doubled his side's lead two minutes into the second half after Khizanishvili failed to clear, allowing the Ivory Coast man to wrap things up.
