Middlesbrough 2-0 Birmingham City

Middlesbrough had not won an opening-day game since 2008

Former Liverpool defender Daniel Ayala's goal helped earn Middlesbrough victory as Birmingham's Championship campaign started with defeat.

The Spanish defender, 23, put Boro ahead after nodding home Grant Leadbitter's first-half corner.

Demarai Gray went closest for Birmingham, the 18-year-old clipping a 30-yard free-kick narrowly over.

But Boro's Enrique Garcia sealed the points from 10 yards after Lee Tomlin's deflected shot fell into his path.

This was a solid start for Middlesbrough's Spanish boss Aitor Karanka.

Singing the Blues
Birmingham are without a win in seven Championship games, six of which have ended in defeat.

The 40-year-old, appointed last November, has strengthened his side since seeing them finish last season with six wins from the final eight league games.

Nine of Birmingham's 11 league wins last season had come on the road but they found no joy on Teesside once Ayala had out-jumped the visitors defence in the 33rd minute to open the scoring.

Within one minute of kick-off, England Under-21 international defender Ben Gibson came off because of injury, but this failed to disrupt Boro.

They continued to press forward and almost doubled their advantage when Albert Adomah fired straight at the onrushing keeper Darren Randolph just after half-time.

Randolph came to his side's rescue again, parrying George Friend's header wide before Garcia - nicknamed 'Kike' - doubled the lead in the 67th minute.

Birmingham City have not won an opening day fixture since overcoming Sheffield United on 9 August 2008

The former Spain Under-20 international showed great technique, slotting a controlled volley into the corner after Tomlin's initial effort had been blocked.

The Spaniard later missed a golden opportunity to add another following a well worked set-piece with Tomlin.

Positives were in short supply for Birmingham. They did go close through Gray's 17th-minute set-piece.

But Blues boss Lee Clark, who saw his side escape relegation to League One on the final day of last season, looks as though he has his work cut out.

Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka:

"It was very good; a very good result and performance. You never know in the first game of the season.

"We started in the same way as we finished last season, with confidence."

Birmingham manager Lee Clark:

"What has been frustrating is we were quite negative. We did not look confident and I do not understand it because we have had a great pre-season.

"The stat of no shots on target tells its own story. It's a little reality check but it's not the end of the world. I have total belief in the players and we can bounce back."

Birmingham fans saw their team win nine times away from home last season

Middlesbrough fans had not seen their side win an opening day fixture since beating Tottenham 2-1 in 2008

Birmingham manager Lee Clark saw his side lose 24 times in the Championship last season

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Middlesbrough

• 40Mejias
• 15Hines
• 3Friend
• 7Leadbitter
• 6GibsonSubstituted forOmeruoat 4'minutes
• 4AyalaBooked at 62mins
• 27AdomahSubstituted forNsueat 67'minutes
• 18Whitehead
• 9Kike
• 10TomlinSubstituted forWilliamsat 87'minutes
• 20Reach

Substitutes

• 13Konstantopoulos
• 14Williams
• 17Husband
• 22Omeruo
• 24Nsue
• 30Fewster
• 33Smallwood

Birmingham

• 1Randolph
• 2EardleyBooked at 55mins
• 4Robinson
• 6Edgar
• 15Hall
• 3Grounds
• 22ShinnieSubstituted forDuffyat 55'minutes
• 8Gleeson
• 12Novak
• 10ThomasSubstituted forDonaldsonat 67'minutes
• 33Gray

Substitutes

• 5Gunning
• 7Duffy
• 9Donaldson
• 11Cotterill
• 21Doyle
• 29Brown
• 31Caddis

Referee:

Graham Salisbury

Attendance:

18,371

Match Stats

Home TeamMiddlesbroughAway TeamBirmingham

Possession

Home49%

Away51%

Shots

Home20

Away4

Shots on Target

Home8

Away0

Corners

Home11

Away2

Fouls

Home9

Away13

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Middlesbrough 2, Birmingham City 0.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+4'

Second Half ends, Middlesbrough 2, Birmingham City 0.

Posted at 90'+3'

Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Jonathan Grounds.

Posted at 90'+2'

Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Darren Randolph.

Posted at 90'+2'

Attempt saved. Luke Williams (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Emilio Nsue.

Posted at 90'+1'

Attempt blocked. Emilio Nsue (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Grant Leadbitter.

Substitution

Posted at 87'

Substitution, Middlesbrough. Luke Williams replaces Lee Tomlin.

Posted at 85'

Dangerous play by Lee Novak (Birmingham City).

Posted at 85'

Daniel Ayala (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 82'

Foul by Demarai Gray (Birmingham City).

Posted at 82'

Dean Whitehead (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 82'

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Posted at 81'

Delay in match Sebastian Hines (Middlesbrough) because of an injury.

Posted at 80'

Foul by David Edgar (Birmingham City).

Posted at 80'

George Friend (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 79'

Paul Robinson (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 79'

Foul by Lee Tomlin (Middlesbrough).

Posted at 78'

Attempt saved. Emilio Nsue (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Posted at 75'

Foul by Sebastian Hines (Middlesbrough).

Posted at 75'

Demarai Gray (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 75'

Attempt missed. Kike (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Grant Leadbitter with a cross following a corner.

Posted at 74'

Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Neal Eardley.

Posted at 73'

Mark Duffy (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 73'

Foul by Emilio Nsue (Middlesbrough).

Posted at 73'

Attempt saved. Kike (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Lee Tomlin.

Posted at 71'

Lee Tomlin (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 71'

Foul by Paul Robinson (Birmingham City).

Substitution

Posted at 67'

Substitution, Birmingham City. Clayton Donaldson replaces Wes Thomas.

Substitution

Posted at 67'

Substitution, Middlesbrough. Emilio Nsue replaces Albert Adomah.

Goal!

Posted at 66'

Goal! Middlesbrough 2, Birmingham City 0. Kike (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner.

Posted at 66'

Attempt blocked. Kike (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Adam Reach with a cross.

Posted at 65'

Offside, Middlesbrough. Adam Reach tries a through ball, but Adam Reach is caught offside.

Posted at 65'

Attempt blocked. Lee Tomlin (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Posted at 63'

Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Darren Randolph.

Posted at 63'

Attempt saved. Albert Adomah (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Kike.

Posted at 62'

Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Dean Whitehead.

Booking

Posted at 62'

Daniel Ayala (Middlesbrough) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 61'

Mark Duffy (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 61'

Foul by Daniel Ayala (Middlesbrough).

Posted at 60'

Grant Hall (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Show more updates