Trailing 3-0 to Steaua Bucharest on aggregate with just 24 minutes of the second leg gone after Nicolae Dica and Dorin Goian had added to their side’s single-goal advantage, the Teessiders went for broke.

Substitute Massimo Maccarone pulled one back before the break before Mark Viduka’s 65th-minute header and a Chris Riggott strike 17 minutes from time set up an agonising conclusion with Maccarone, just as he had done against Basle in the last round, claiming the winner with just a minute to go.

Boro, as they did against West Ham four days ago, lined up with a three-man defence of skipper Gareth Southgate, Chris Riggott and Franck Queudrue with Stuart Parnaby and 19-year-old Andrew Taylor operating as wing-backs.

Taylor was quick to make his presence felt in the Steaua half when he combined with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to feed Viduka with just a minute gone, although defender Dorin Goian intercepted in the nick of time.

But the visitors might have extended their aggregate lead seconds later when Nicolae Dica, the man who scored their goal at the Lia Manoliu Stadium, powered a header inches over from a Gabriel Bostina corner.

Boro threatened on eight minutes when Fabio Rochemback and Viduka set up Parnaby to cross, but full-back Petre Marin blocked to concede a corner which ‘keeper Carlos claimed comfortably.

The Romanians were enjoying their fair share of the possession, and they made it count on 16 minutes when Marin cut inside and unleashed a right-foot shot which Jones could only parry and Dica calmly controlled the rebound before slotting it into the bottom corner.

Boro’s plight worsened with 24 minutes gone when, after Riggott had headed a Bostina corner inches past his own post, the visitors struck again.

Goian got his head to Bostina’s second corner to force a good save from Jones, but Parnaby could only return the ball to the defender and he controlled before hammering a low shot into the back of the net.

The home side were forced into a reshuffle two minutes later when Southgate, who has been struggling with an ankle problem, was replaced by record singing Massimo Maccarone, the man who clinched their thrilling quarter-final win over Basle.

Iacob flicked an instinctive 31st-minute effort just over as Steaua looked to kill off the tie, but Boro gave themselves a lifeline two minutes later when Maccarone ran on to Viduka’s pass and smashed a low drive past Carlos.

The home crowd sensed a repeat of their side’s astonishing comeback against Basle as Olaroiu’s men, for the first time in the tie, started to look vulnerable.

Boro might have got themselves right back into it on 39 minutes when Maccarone played Viduka in and his shot was blocked by the ‘keeper, Hasselbaink heading the rebound wide as it flew at him.

Taylor fired just over two minutes later after Carlos had punched a Stewart Downing corner straight up in the air, and the Portuguese ‘keeper blocked a Viduka shot on the turn with his leg in injury time.

Boro returned, as they had done against Basle, knowing an early goal would increase Steaua's self-doubt but equally aware any further damage would prove fatal.

They wasted little time in setting about their task, Viduka lofting the ball in towards Hasselbaink to cause panic in the visitors’ defence until Marin hacked away.

George Boateng was left with a painful remminder of his evening’s work when the studs of Mirel Radoi’s raised boot caught him on the back of the head, leaving him needing extensive treatment.

Carlos was called into action again after 53 minutes when Viduka controlled a high ball expertly on his chest and went for goal on the turn, the keeper getting down superby to save low to his left.

McClaren made his move with 35 minutes remaining when he withdrew full-back Taylor and sent on leading scorer Yakubu and adopted a 3-4-3 formation.

Viduka’s influence was growing by the minute and Goian had to throw himself into the path of yet another shot on 58 minutes with the visitors struggling to contain Boro.

Hasslebaink’s desperation got the better of him on 61 minutes when he was rightly booked for diving in pursuit of a penalty, but his side were very much back in the tie four minutes later.

Carlos came for but missed Downing’s towering cross and Viduka rose to power home his 16th goal of the season.

The Riverside crowd collectively held its breath with 19 minutes remaining when Rochemback let fly from 25 yards, the ball only just clearing the crossbar with Carlos stranded.

But the stadium exploded two minutes later when the keeper could only parry Downing’s shot and Riggott stabbed the loose ball into the unguarded net.

Steaua were rocking as Boro piled forward with Dica, whose 67th-minute booking for handball would have ruled him out of the final anyway, a virtual spectator.

But with just a minute remaining Maccarone rose at the far post to meet a Downing cross with an unstoppable header past Carlos to seal another heart-stopping evening on Teesside.