Middlesbrough begin foreign affair

FABRIZIO was at ease. Sitting back in his chair, tasteful blue shirt open to the waist exposing the torso we had seen earlier, he mused on the afternoon's events. "It's been a very interesting day," he said with a smile spreading across his face. "Astonishing," might have been more appropriate.

Not only had Middlesbrough, a small, unfashionable and unsuccessful club spent £7 million on a player from the club that won the European Cup three months ago, here was that player scoring a hat trick on his debut.

"On the evidence today English football has plenty of skill," Ravanelli went on. "Liverpool never gave the ball away. The difference between Italy and England is that the small clubs always go for the win here. John Barnes was outstanding."

He was right about Barnes who capped a classy display with an even classier goal, but Ravanelli made no comment about his new team mates in defence.

Boro's defenders were poor no matter what way they were facing. Liverpool's first goal saw Pearson stare at the ball as if it was in a glass box, allowing Bjornebye to nip in and strike cleanly past Miller. For the second, Barnes was given time and space eight yards form goal to chest down McAteer's cross and plonk the ball in off a post. The third saw Bjornebye's long centre travel past three red shirts to Fowler, who brilliantly steered the ball pass Miller.

Collymore should have added a fourth but instead found himself upstaged by Ravanelli snatching his third, the Italian swinging his left leg at Mustoe's bundled pass. There were 10 minutes left, it was another equaliser. The first came after Juninho fell like a wee boy in the park and Ravanelli smacked in the penalty, the second the end of a good move.