00:00at the start of a new season and big spending Middlesbrough give premiership debuts today to
00:05the two summer signings who've created unprecedented optimism on Teesside. Italy's Fabrizio Ravinelli,
00:12the record seven million pounds signing from Juventus, already voted by Borough fans as most
00:18likely to be their player of the year. But four million pounds, Emerson of Brazil, a midfield
00:24player in the mold of manager Brian Robson will certainly challenge for that honor. It's exciting
00:30days at Middlesbrough, Emerson teamed up in this Borough lineup with his Brazilian colleague Janinho
00:35who like Nicky Barmbay has shaken off an injury. New faces then in midfield and up front but
00:41Borough's defensive personnel unchanged since last season. Liverpool's Robbie Fowler operates in new
00:49colours and a new number inheriting the number nine shirt vacated by Ian Rush's departure.
00:55His 85 goals in three seasons making him the natural heir apparent. But Liverpool are missing
01:01five injured players today including Jamie Redknapp who's playing for a youth side elsewhere
01:06and new signing Patrick Berger of Czechoslovakia who may be fit for Monday. Dominic Matteo comes
01:13into a three-man central defence. All the other names and positions are familiar.
01:25Paul Alcock of Redhill is the referee this afternoon and Borough's need for more strike power
01:34was evident from only 44 goals scored in 47 games last season. Maybe Ravanelli can provide what was
01:43missing. John Barnes with the header. Here's Fowler. One or two tackles flying in sharply in these
01:53opening exchanges. Fowler on Barnes free kick. Liverpool's away form was what let them down in that
02:06three-horse race race for the championship at the end of last season. Emerson cut out by Matteo. Here's John Barnes
02:15and Mark Wright.
02:20Collymore.
02:23Chance here for Janinho.
02:25Good tackle by Mark Wright.
02:28He's furious about the decision
02:29to award a free kick against him.
02:33Looked as though he'd won it well.
02:38Janinho.
02:40And David James
02:41needing all of his six feet four inches.
02:46Little man who played for Brazil
02:47in the Olympic competition.
02:56Sticking at Bionerby.
02:57That wasn't in the Middlesbrough script.
03:02He sneaked in
03:03when defenders were lax.
03:06And Alan Miller
03:07with no chance
03:08from that sort of distance.
03:11Perhaps
03:12Middlesbrough's
03:13defenders
03:13with too many eyes
03:16on Collymore.
03:18and Bionerby
03:21the wing-back
03:23popping up
03:25in the most forward position
03:26to put Liverpool ahead.
03:29Here's Matteo.
03:43Oh, that's badly directed.
03:45Janinho,
03:45Ravanelli,
03:46Bambi.
03:48Back in by Ravanelli.
03:50Janinho has it.
03:51Anything still possible?
03:52Great effort!
03:53The little Brazilian
03:56Ravanelli
03:58just got
04:00six inches in front of him.
04:03Matteo
04:03got a boot on it.
04:05But they almost
04:08set him free then
04:09in their own
04:10penalty area.
04:11Oh!
04:15Nicky Barmbi
04:16diving in.
04:18Just failing
04:19to make a connection.
04:21Curtis Fleming
04:22galloping down
04:23that left touchline
04:24in support.
04:24Back to Janinho.
04:26Mark Wright's
04:26come out to
04:27confront him.
04:28Janinho.
04:29Oh!
04:30Must be a penalty.
04:35Liverpool
04:36in furious protest
04:37but it's a penalty
04:38and it's a yellow card
04:40I think possibly
04:41for Matt Maneman.
04:41It's not
04:42immediately clear.
04:44But little Janinho
04:45the Brazilian
04:46magician
04:47skipping past
04:50Mark Wright.
04:53McAteer was there.
04:55Well, there were
04:55hands on the
04:56little Middlesbrough
04:57player
04:57and he went down
04:58in a heap.
05:00Paul Alcock
05:01immediately pointed
05:02to the penalty spot.
05:05Yes, it certainly
05:06looks as though
05:07McAteer had
05:08a hold of his arm.
05:14And the ball
05:15to be placed
05:16on the penalty spot
05:17by Fabrizio Ravinelli.
05:20This to open
05:21his account
05:21in English football.
05:27Ravinelli
05:32gets his first goal
05:33courtesy of the penalty.
05:36It's one apiece
05:37and the Italian
05:38winding up the crowd.
05:42The white feather
05:43signals his arrival
05:47on Teesside.
05:49and he's asking
05:52the crowd
05:52for more.
05:55He just went
05:56for pure power.
06:01It was almost
06:03hitting the back
06:03of the net
06:04before David James
06:05had gone across
06:06a level scoreline
06:08and anything
06:09is yet possible.
06:12Michael Thomas
06:13Collymore
06:17holding off
06:19Pearson.
06:20Here's McAteer.
06:21John Barnes
06:24beautifully done
06:25by Barnes.
06:26Wonderful goal.
06:27Absolutely
06:28magnificent.
06:35McAteer
06:35the supply line
06:36but all the class
06:38oozing from
06:39John Barnes.
06:43A wonderful
06:44first touch
06:45to bring the ball
06:46under control
06:46off his chest.
06:49Left footed
06:50in off the foot
06:52of the post.
06:58And that's
06:58the perfect
06:59riposte
07:00from Liverpool
07:00to the
07:02Middlesbrough penalty.
07:05Dispossessed
07:06by Emerson.
07:08Balmby.
07:12Emerson.
07:13Oh
07:13middle
07:14through the legs
07:15his
07:15Giannino.
07:16Great skill
07:17Giannino.
07:20Middlesbrough
07:23trying to keep
07:28the pressure on
07:29it's a pressure
07:29cooker atmosphere.
07:31Here's Cox
07:31into the six yard
07:33box.
07:33Ravanelli.
07:34Well he may earn
07:41himself a rebuke
07:42from the FA
07:42because you're not
07:43actually supposed to
07:44bear your chest
07:45in the premiership
07:47this season.
07:49But Ravanelli
07:50unable to resist
07:51his customary
07:52salute to a goal.
07:5335 minutes gone.
07:57He gets his second
07:58on his premiership
07:59debut
07:59and it's 2-2.
08:03Middlesbrough
08:03rewarded
08:04for their persistence.
08:06Cox
08:06bursting forward.
08:09Ravanelli
08:09sliding it in
08:10from the edge
08:10of the six yard
08:11box.
08:11And what an
08:17afternoon
08:18in sunshine
08:21warm enough
08:21for cricket
08:22John Barnes
08:25McManaman
08:26out to
08:27Babb
08:28drilled in
08:29well
08:29Phil
08:29Babb
08:30it just
08:30needed a
08:31touch
08:31Robbie Fowler
08:36Oh that's
08:38great football
08:38by Robbie Fowler
08:39that was a
08:40wonderful bit
08:41of skill
08:41outwitting the
08:45defender to
08:45give himself
08:46room
08:47little drop
08:51of the shoulder
08:52to send
08:53Pearson the
08:54wrong way
08:54just opened
08:55the door
08:55an inch
08:56full Babb
08:58Collymore
09:02Barnes quick
09:07to spot
09:08an opening
09:08Bjornaby
09:11Michael Thomas
09:17on it first
09:17Bjornaby can
09:18try again
09:19Fowler
09:21Robbie Fowler
09:233-2
09:28Liverpool
09:2820 minutes
09:30gone in the
09:31second half
09:31and
09:33Middlesbrough
09:34to their
09:35cost
09:35allowed
09:36Liverpool
09:36to cross
09:38it into
09:38their penalty
09:39area for
09:39a second
09:40time
09:40Bjornaby's
09:44first cross
09:44should
09:45surely have
09:46been dealt
09:47with
09:47Emerson
09:49had a touch
09:50but then the
09:50ball wasn't
09:51really cleared
09:51it came
09:52straight back
09:52to Bjornaby
09:53the defenders
09:55missed it
09:56Fowler
09:56didn't
09:57Cox
10:03Janino
10:06keeps it
10:07going
10:07for
10:07Barnaby
10:08free kick
10:10Michael Thomas
10:16the offender
10:17Middlesbrough
10:19piling bodies
10:20into the
10:20penalty area
10:21for this
10:21free kick
10:22there are
10:25eight
10:25Cox
10:27wonderful
10:29save by
10:29James
10:30good
10:31downward
10:31header
10:31by
10:32Neil
10:32Cox
10:32David
10:43James
10:43with
10:4426
10:44clean
10:45sheets
10:45for
10:46Liverpool
10:46last
10:46season
10:47comes out
10:50to claim
10:51the corner
10:52and he's
10:53done the
10:53job very
10:53well
10:54and that's
10:54a quick
10:55distribution
10:55for Fowler
10:56to chase
10:57across the
11:02six yard
11:03box
11:03that was
11:04Bjornaby
11:04arriving
11:05defender
11:06just got
11:07there first
11:07crowd
11:10shouting to
11:11warn him
11:11that
11:11McManaman
11:12was arriving
11:12here's
11:13Musto
11:13trying to
11:14burst
11:15through
11:15Ravanelli
11:17Ravanelli
11:18yes
11:18it's a
11:23hat-trick
11:23it's 3-3
11:27David
11:31James
11:31on his
11:32backside
11:32had no
11:34chance
11:35with a
11:36ball
11:37which rolled
11:38agonisingly
11:38slowly
11:39past him
11:40the
11:46seven
11:46million
11:46pounds
11:47signing
11:48with a
11:50hat-trick
11:50on his
11:51first
11:51afternoon
11:52of
11:52premiership
11:53football
11:53that's
11:54predatory
11:54that's
11:55knowing
11:55where
11:56the
11:56goal
11:56is
11:56that's
11:59having
11:59the
11:59real
11:59killer
12:00instinct
12:00through
12:03the
12:04legs
12:04of
12:04Babb
12:04David
12:06James
12:07isolated
12:07and for
12:12the third
12:12time this
12:13afternoon
12:14Ravanelli
12:16claws
12:17back into
12:19a match
12:19three times
12:21almost
12:24almost
12:24almost came back
12:24off the
12:24chest of
12:26James
12:26as
12:27Bambi
12:27came in
12:28and the
12:30star player
12:31looks for
12:31his
12:31ball
12:32well
12:37smothered
12:37by James
12:38Steve
12:39Vickers
12:40Michael
12:41Thomas
12:42almost in
12:42to put
12:43Liverpool
12:43ahead
12:43yet again
12:44Vickers
12:46concedes
12:47the corner
12:47that's
13:01Ravanelli in there
13:02to help
13:02as a defender
13:03and now
13:04Bambi
13:04but there's
13:05nobody ahead
13:06of him
13:06although
13:07Ravanelli did
13:10sprint down
13:11the middle
13:11but
13:11McManaman
13:12claimed it
13:13Collymore
13:20here's
13:24Emerson
13:24Ravanelli
13:26that's
13:27the
13:28Ornaby
13:28to end
13:31the match
13:32which has
13:32been a
13:33glorious
13:33advert
13:34for the
13:34premier
13:35season
13:35which lies
13:36ahead
13:36the fans
13:37have
13:37absolutely
13:38loved it
13:38and Ravanelli
13:40is the
13:41hero of
13:41the afternoon
13:42a hat-trick
13:44from the
13:44Italian
13:45debutant
13:45after
13:46Liverpool
13:47led
13:47three times
13:48and three
13:49times
13:50Middlesbrough
13:51equalised
13:51the game
13:53off to an
13:54explosive start
13:55when
13:55Bjornaby
13:55scored in
13:56four minutes
13:57Ravanelli
13:58equalising
13:58with a
13:59penalty
13:59a classic
14:00goal from
14:01Barnes
14:01Ravanelli
14:02equalising
14:03again
14:03after 35
14:04minutes
14:04Robbie Fowler
14:06chipped him
14:06with his
14:07customary goal
14:07in the
14:08second half
14:09but Ravanelli
14:10wouldn't be
14:10denied
14:113-3
14:12the final
14:12score
14:13and at the
14:15end of the
14:16season
14:16what might
14:17this result
14:18mean in
14:19terms of
14:20the
14:20championship
14:20Liverpool
14:21perhaps feeling
14:23that the
14:23three points
14:23were theirs
14:24but they go
14:25home in the
14:25end with
14:26just the
14:26one
14:26thing
