MIDDLESBROUGH completed their pre-season preparations with a morale-boosting 2-0 win over French giants Marseille.

Second-half goals from Isaiah Jones and Marcus Tavernier ensured Boro signed off on a successful note ahead of next weekend’s Championship season-opener against West Brom.

Both goalscorers produced impressive displays, along with Matt Crooks and Riley McGree, who caught the eye in midfield, and goalkeeper Zack Steffen, who made a string of impressive saves less than a week after joining the Teessiders.

Three of Chris Wilder’s summer signings started in Boro’s only pre-season game at the Riverside, with Steffen making his first appearance for the club in goal, Darragh Lenihan lining up at the heart of the back four and Ryan Giles starting at left wing-back.

Duncan Watmore started as the central striker, highlighting Boro’s lack of success in the transfer market so far this summer when it comes to trying to sign a new forward, and while the Teessiders saw plenty of the ball against their illustrious opposition, they rarely threatened the Marseille goal.

Tavernier, who was in the side despite the mounting speculation linking him with a possible move to Bournemouth, floated an early free-kick over the crossbar, but that was really that in terms of first-half opportunities for the Teessiders.

Marseille are at a fairly early stage of their pre-season preparations, so the Ligue 1 side were hardly playing at full tilt, but as the opening period wore on, so the visitors began to become more threatening.

Arkadiusz Milik fired a low strike just wide of the post midway through the first half, before dragging another effort wide on the half-hour mark after former Arsenal full-back Sead Kolasinac pulled the ball back into his path.

Another ex-Arsenal player, Matteo Guendouzi, glanced a header wide after Dimitri Payet floated over a free-kick from the left, and Steffen was seriously involved for the first time as he made a double save in the 37th minute.

The Manchester City loanee kept out an initial effort from Milik, before blocking a follow-up strike from Gerson, who was positioned at the heart of the 18-yard box.

Marseille goalkeeper, Pau Lopez, barely had a touch before the interval, but he was called into action three minutes into the second half as Boro constructed their best attack of the game.

A slick passing move ended with Giles sliding over a low cross from the left, and Crooks’ side-footed effort was heading in until Lopez flung himself to his left to turn the ball around the post.

Boro maintained their new-found sense of momentum, and claimed the lead in the 53rd minute with an opener that was all of Jones’ making.

The wing-back set off on a marauding run down the right, and while he looked to have lost possession to Duje Caleta-Car, his refusal to give things up saw him win the ball back off the Marseille substitute.

That left him bearing down on goal in the 18-yard box, and he slotted a composed low finish past Lopez.

With Watmore not really offering much of a goalscoring threat, Wilder opted for a change shortly after the hour mark, introducing Chuba Akpom from the bench.

Akpom seemingly had no future as a Boro player when Wilder initially left him out of his pre-season thoughts and the striker, who spent last season in Greece on loan at PAOK, was not part of the squad that travelled to Portugal earlier this month.

However, with his attempts to bring in a new striker seemingly stalling, the Boro boss has opted to restore Akpom to the fold, and the 26-year-old has to have a chance of featuring in the squad for the opening game of the Championship season against West Brom next weekend.

Akpom was a lively presence in the closing stages, and Boro doubled their lead with 18 minutes left.

McGree released Crooks into the penalty area, and while the midfielder was tackled, the ball broke kindly for Tavernier, who swept home a clinical first-time finish.


Middlesbrough (3-5-1-1): Steffen; Dijksteel, Lenihan, Bola (Smith 74); Jones, Crooks, Howson, Tavernier, Giles; McGree; Watmore (Akpom 62).

Subs (not used): Roberts (gk), Daniels (gk), Bilongo, Finch, Gibson, Coulson, Coburn, Boyd-Munce, Kavanagh.

Marseille (3-5-2): Lopez; Mbemba, Gigot (Caleta-Car 46), Toure; Under (Amavi 62), Gerson, Rongier, Guendouzi (Elmaz 83), Kolasinac (Clauss 62); Payet (Suarez 74), Milik (Bakambu 46).

Subs (not used): Ngapandouetnbu (gk), Blanco (gk), Balerdi, Dieng, Peres, de la Fuente, Gueye, Targhalline, Lirola, Ben Seghir, Mmadi.