FOR the second year in a row, Middlesbrough can start planning for a place in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup after a comfortable victory almost certainly clinched a place in the next round.

Two goals from Mark Viduka after the break and Aiyegbeni Yakubu's seventh for the club - his first in Europe - sent Boro to the top of Group D.

Just one point in either of the Teessiders' last two games against AZ Almaar or Litex Lovech, who beat Grasshoppers earlier in the night, will ensure progress.

Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk had arrived in the North-East with a growing reputation for causing an upset. But, despite some early nervy moments from the hosts, Boro's superiority eventually took its toll.

A well-worked move between Yakubu and Gaizka Mendieta ended with the £7.5m summer buy slotting the opener past Dnipro goalkeeper Artem Kusliy shortly before half-time.

Then Viduka, frustrated at his lack of league starts this season, showed he has not lost his eye for goal by scoring a scintillating second and a routine third.

The only disappointment from the night was that, despite such a memorable performance against Manchester United on Saturday, the fans failed to turn out in numbers again for the club's first home match of the group stage.

There were fewer present than turned out for the first round tie with Greek side Xanthi, even though manager Steve McClaren had spent the build-up to the encounter asking for strong backing against a side he described as 'dangerous opponents.'

Despite McClaren's high regard for the Ukrainians, the Boro boss made four changes to the side which outclassed United at the weekend - and, in the end, they still outclassed Dnipro.

As well as the cup-tied Fabio Rochemback, Dutch pair Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink and George Boateng were both rested. Meaning there were recalls for Viduka, Doriva and James Morrison.

The changes, after a sluggish start in which Dnipro forced the first chance when midfielder Dmytro Mykhaylenko shot wide, failed to affect Mendieta, who started where he left off on Saturday night.

Mendieta, outstanding against United, had two efforts from 22 yards in as many minutes but neither found the net. The first was easily saved by goalkeeper Artem Kusliy and the second flew a foot wide.

A Franck Queudrue free-kick had to be well saved by Kusliy moments later, but the sparse Riverside crowd had already started showing signs of anxiety with less than half an hour on the clock. If only they had waited.

Boro may have looked the more likely side to score in the opening exchanges but Dnipro, who played some nice, quick counter-attacking football throughout, did cause unrest in the home defence on occasions in the first half.

Mykhaylenko, making his UEFA Cup debut for the club in his second spell, operated as one of two defensive midfielders and was at the hub of most Dnipro's attacking plays.

But it was Yakubu, making his own first start in the competition for Boro, who delivered the crucial blow nine minutes before the break in impressive style.

After turning his marker on the left wing, the African cut inside and played the ball in to Mendieta. The Spaniard's perfectly-weighted return pass was met first time by Yakubu, who stroked the ball inside Kusliy's near post.

Mendieta, starting to rekindle the sort of form that made him such a household name in Europe during his days with Valencia, then went close with a fine left-foot drive but the keeper was equal to it.

With the pressure off Boro at the start of the second half, they started much brighter.

It took just six minutes for them to extend their slender advantage and Viduka was the man to deliver.

The 29-year-old, out-of-sorts up to this point, rolled defender Bohdan Shershan before firing an unstoppable 20-yard drive that Kusliy could do nothing to prevent.

Five minutes later the Dnipro keeper did manage to block Morrison's fine strike from just inside the area.

But Viduka was on hand to slide in and turn the loose ball into an unguarded net.

From there the game was over as a contest.

Boro enjoyed the freedom of the Riverside as their opponents accepted their fate.

Kusliy denied Morrison with an expert fingertip save, while Viduka was denied a hat-trick by the post as Boro hit cruise control and took a huge step towards the next stage.

Result: Middlesbrough 3, Dnipro 0.

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