SWITZERLAND'S neutrality might be fiercely guarded but Mark Schwarzer has revealed that one of the Swiss league's leading lights has been spying for Middlesbrough in the last fortnight.

As well as playing alongside the Boro goalkeeper in the Australian national team, midfielder Scott Chipperfield is also a key part of the FC Basle side that currently tops the Swiss Super League.

The pair have been comparing notes for much of the last month, with Chipperfield providing detailed dossiers on Grasshoppers' recent domestic outings.

And, while the Zurich-based side are currently second in the table, Schwarzer's Australian team-mate expects Middlesbrough to come out on top tonight.

"I spoke to Scott last week," said Schwarzer, who missed last month's trip to Xanthi with a shoulder injury. "He mentioned to me that they are a decent side but not as good as they were two seasons ago.

"He said, 'They are a decent side and they are well-organised, they are one of the teams always pushing Basle for the championship.

"But he also said, and these are his own words, 'You should come through quite easily'.

"We know that's never the case. We are playing at their home ground and it is a UEFA Cup tie. I know they are going to be a good side - we've seen that on the video footage - we can't take anything for granted."

With three teams progressing from each group, a win this evening would see Boro take a giant step towards the knock-out stage.

Six points are generally enough to ensure survival and, after losing to eventual finalists Sporting Lisbon in the last 16 of last year's competition, Schwarzer has claimed emulating that achievement is the very least Middlesbrough should be aiming for.

"We had a lot of good experiences in last year's UEFA Cup," he said. "At the very minimum we want to reach the same stage we did last season.

"I think this group is a little bit harder than the one we had last season but we will not be going in with any negative thoughts. We are very positive and we think we can do well in the group again.

"If you look at the draw, and at the group, we have to be happy with the way the games have fallen.

"Last year was more of an unknown. Boro had never been in Europe before and we didn't really know if we could cope with playing European football. We proved we could do that last season and we need to prove we can do it again."

The build-up to this evening's game has been over-shadowed by news of Abel Xavier's failed drugs test. The Portugal international has been handed a worldwide ban and will consequently play no part at the Hardturm Stadium.

His team-mates have not spoken to him since the news of his positive test broke but, while the defender's absence is a setback, Schwarzer has claimed it will only serve to strengthen Middlesbrough's resolve.

"Might it bring us together? Yes, it probably will," he said. "You try to get together even more than you already are when something like that happens. We're together, it is as simple as that.

"We just have to go about doing our job. Whatever has happened in the background has happened.

"There is nothing we can do about it, and it is something that none of us are talking about. It is not our place to talk about anything like that, we concentrate on what is happening on the pitch."

Read more about Middlesbrough here.