Middlesbrough lost 1-0 to Sturm Graz in their first friendly of pre-season.
The Teesside club have spent the last week in Austria as they look to get their fitness ready for what is set to be a tough season battling for promotion. And the training camp was set to end with their first friendly of the summer against Austrian Bundesliga side Sturm Graz. They have featured many times in the Champions League and the Europa League and finished 2nd place behind Red Bull Salzburg last season.
The game was never going to be a thriller considering how early in pre-season we are but Middlesbrough will still be disappointed that they weren’t able to do better. While they had a few chances in the first half, it would be Graz who got first blood and only blood, when Thomas Pink was able to head in a cross just a few minutes before the end of the half.
As you expect from a friendly at this stage in pre-season, all of Middlesbrough’s substitutes came on for the second half. And they did have the ball in the net, even if it didn’t count. Ashley Fletcher was able to score but his equaliser was ruled offside by the linesman meaning that Pink’s opening half goal was enough to condemn Middlesbrough to defeat.
Middlesbrough will now return to England to continue their pre-season. Their next friendly will be on July 10th against non-league Spennymoor Town. They open their Sky Bet Championship season away at Millwall on 4th August.
