Middlesbrough were second best for much of the opening stages .
Middlesbrough came agonisingly close to an equaliser when Rudy Gestede rose above the City defence to direct a header on goal , but a combination of Claudio Bravo and Zabaleta kept the ball out .
Middlesbrough were second best for much of the opening stages but they came agonisingly close to an equaliser when Rudy Gestede rose above the City defence to direct a header on goal , but a combination of Claudio Bravo and Zabaleta kept the ball out .