Grasshopper Zurich 0 Middlesbrough 1

Hasselbaink's strike rewards positive approach from Boro

Boro will have returned from their Zurich finishing school with a revived faith in their future, but they will have to face better sides than this to progress further than last season. Grasshopper had been undefeated at home this season, and unbeaten in their last six games, but they looked overawed by the Premiership side from the start.

The Middlesbrough manager, Steve McClaren, left out £7.5m striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu and paired Hasselbaink with Mark Viduka up front following criticism of his persistence with a 4-5-1 system after the drawn Premiership home game against Portsmouth on Saturday, when Yakubu laboured alone in attack.

Boro's record signing, Massimo Maccarone, was also rested, as was Franck Queudrue, whose place on the left was taken by Szilard Nemeth. As expected, Stuart Parnaby played at right-back in the absence of Abel Xavier, who has been banned by Fifa following a positive drugs test in a Uefa Cup match last month.

McClaren's more positive formation paid off quickly. In the 10th minute Grasshopper's defence - which included the former Arsenal centre-back Igors Stepanovs - went missing as Doriva played a slick one-two with Viduka and slid a ball in from the left. Hasselbaink confidently slotted the ball home with a side-foot finish from just inside the penalty area.

Middlesbrough continued to look threatening, with Hasselbaink's pace and strength impressing, but Grasshopper were unfortunate not to claim an equaliser after 22 minutes when the Boro goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer spilled a relatively routine Rogerio shot from outside the area and Eduardo reacted fastest to slot the ball in. But his effort was ruled offside, a decision that looked dubious to say the least.

The Swiss side managed to create some sustained pressure as the interval approached. Antonio Dos Santos missed a glorious chance after 41 minutes when he volleyed over the bar from just outside the six-yard box.

Eduardo then headed over early in the second half, but his error was quickly matched by Nemeth, who shot wide when a simple pass to Viduka would have brought a second Middlesbrough goal. There was more frustration for McClaren's side after 72 minutes when Hasselbaink had a goal disallowed after a hairline offside decision.

Though Eduardo and Rogerio continued to create, and miss, chances, Boro looked composed on the ball and held on with a reasonable degree of comfort.

Grasshopper Zurich (4-4-2): Coltorti; Mitreski, Stepanovs, Chihab (Toure, 82), Jaggy; Renggli, Cabanas, Dos Santos, Sutter; Eduardo, Rogerio. Substitutes not used: Jehle, Hurlimann, Schwegler, Denicola, Luetolf, Salatic.

Middlesbrough (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Parnaby, Riggott, Southgate, Pogatetz; Mendieta (Queudrue, 78), Boateng, Doriva, Nemeth (Morrison, 67); Hasselbaink, Viduka (Yakubu, 85). Substitutes not used: Knight, Maccarone, Johnson, Bates.

Referee: E Berntsen (Norway).