STEVE McCLAREN has banished the footage of Sporting Lisbon's tame draw with North-East neighbours Newcastle United to the dustbin, choosing instead to prepare his players with video nasties of the Portuguese giants.

The Boro boss has been mightily impressed by Sporting's approach to the game and has used their success over respected Dutch outfit Feyenoord in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup as the benchmark for tonight's game.

But McClaren, talking ahead of the last-16 first leg at the Riverside Stadium tonight, believes the visitors will be a totally different proposition to the side which drew 1-1 at Newcastle in December.

At St James' Park that night both sides were already guaranteed progress beyond the group stage and the performances of both resembled two teams that were happy with a draw.

But, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake this time around, McClaren believes Boro have to be ready for their biggest test so far in the competition, comparing Jose Peseiro's men with the only team to have beaten the Teessiders in Europe this season, Villarreal.

Sporting, like Boro, are smarting from a depressing weekend defeat but have been in emphatic domestic form so far and have scored 50 goals in 24 games, with Brazilian striker Liedson grabbing nearly half of those.

McClaren said: "Sporting Lisbon will keep the ball all day and they score goals for fun.

"Technically they are very good. With Liedson up front, he has scored 21 goals in 24 games this season, they are a threat. We have to watch for him.

"We've watched the game with Newcastle. That was a strange game. Both teams wanted a draw. I have not spoken to Graeme Souness because we have done our own homework. This game is a totally different level but we are confident.

"Sporting have a fantastic record in Europe and domestically. We watched their games against Feyenoord and for anyone to beat them twice has to be a very good team. I thought Villarreal were very good and Sporting are on a par with them."

The good news for Boro fans tonight is that goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer looks to have shrugged off a knee problem.

Schwarzer has missed the last two games but with deputy Carlo Nash suffering a groin injury, the Australian has been rushed back to make sure 18-year-old David Knight does not have to make a premature debut.

McClaren, who is still without ten first-team squad members and also has a doubt over Ray Parlour (back), has to decide whether to bin the five across midfield that proved ineffective at Aston Villa on Saturday and revert to two strikers.

If that is the case, young forward Danny Graham is pushing Joseph Job and Szilard Nemeth for the right to partner Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in attack.

Graham signed a new two-year contract extension yesterday and McClaren said: "Danny deserves this new deal as he has worked so hard for everything he has achieved so far. He may not be the prettiest player to watch but he is a natural goalscorer who has that rare knack of being in the right place at the right time.

"Graham has come on leaps and bounds and I would have no qualms about putting him in. But you can't beat experience in these sort of situations, so we will see."

Boro's outstanding UEFA Cup form - they have lost just once in their maiden European adventure - has come at a cost as they have picked up just one win in the Premiership since the turn of the year.

They have dropped out of the top six and are out of the FA Cup but McClaren, expecting a sell-out at the Riverside tonight, believes there is no bigger or better game to turn things around than against Sporting.

"I can't stress enough how much we need the crowd," said McClaren.

"Sporting Lisbon versus Middlesbrough: This club wouldn't have dreamt of that a year ago. "This will be our toughest game in Europe yet.

"I would have to take a nil-nil because we are capable of scoring away and the first is always cagey and the second can come to life. You need a clean sheet first and then you need to score a goal. We are capable of going away and getting a result.

"I don't think we're favourites for this tie. Sporting will think this a great chance for them. We have to rely on attitude, spirit and character.

"The players know what they have to do. They look lively in training and this is one of the biggest games in Middlesbrough's history.

"This is a massive game for this football club.

"It whets the appetite for everyone associated with Middlesbrough.

"We expect a full house. We need the fans.

"They have been terrific and we want to get through to the last eight."

Meanwhile, young defender Andrew Taylor also signed a new contract yesterday and has become the eighth member of last year's FA Youth Cup-winning squad to sign a new deal.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer; McMahon, Riggott, Southgate, Queudrue; Parnaby, Parlour, Zenden, Downing; Hasselbaink, Graham.

Sporting: Ricardo; Rogerio, Knakarhira, Beto, Rui Jorge; Martins, Rochemback, Moutinho, Viana; Liedson, Sa Pinto.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.