Southampton 1-0 Middlesbrough

Sofiane Boufal's only previous Southampton goal came in a 1-0 win over Sunderland in the last 16 of the EFL Cup in October

Sofiane Boufal scored his first Premier League goal as his spectacular strike from 25 yards gave Southampton a win over Middlesbrough.

Boufal, who joined the Saints for a club record fee of £16m from Lille in August, collected the ball from James Ward-Prowse before blasting past Boro goalkeeper Victor Valdes.

Viktor Fischer had the visitors' best chance but his shot was blocked on the goalline by Jose Fonte.

The result takes Southampton up to 10th in the table, while Middlesbrough are 16th, only three points above the relegation zone.

• Follow all the reaction and analysis from Sunday's Premier League matches

Puel's rotation pays off

How Southampton rotate their squad in a hectic period is going to be one of the biggest challenges Claude Puel has faced so far during his spell in charge.

The Saints were playing their 24th game of the season, and their third of seven in December with a minimum of seven more matches to come in January.

Puel made eight changes from the side that drew 1-1 against Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the Europa League on Thursday, a result that meant they were eliminated from the competition.

Midfielder Sam McQueen and forward Jay Rodriguez were both making their second Premier League starts of the season, while Boufal and Cuco Martina had only previously started five league games between them in 2016-17.

But the gambles paid off with the Saints returning to the top half with a well deserved victory.

Indeed, the winning margin could have been bigger, but Rodriguez had a header cleared off the line and shot over the bar from close range late on.

Boro's attacking problems continue

This graphic shows Middlesbrough's struggles up front. The green arrows represent shots on target, with one from Jordan Rhodes (number nine) and one from Viktor Fischer (11), while the red arrow shows Rhodes' long-range effort that went well wide

For Middlesbrough, their problems in front of goal continue and their tally of 13 goals from 15 games is the worst in the division.

With joint top scorer Alvaro Negredo and Gaston Ramirez, who scored the only goal in their 1-0 win over Hull on Monday, both injured, Jordan Rhodes started a Premier League match for only the second time.

However, Rhodes only created one chance, a low shot from a tight angle which home goalkeeper Fraser Forster comfortably saved with his legs.

That effort was one of only two shots on target for the visitors in the whole match, with none coming in the second half.

Boro's only other opportunity came when Fischer, still without a Boro goal in 11 appearances since joining from Ajax in the summer, went round Forster but his shot was blocked by Fonte.

Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka's hopes of keeping his club in the Premier League and avoiding an instant return to the Championship could depend on whether he can bolster his attacking options in January.

Man of the match - Sofiane Boufal (Southampton)

The Morocco international needed knee surgery in May, and did not make his Southampton debut until late October, but has now started their last two Premier League matches

The stats: Premier League landmark for Southampton

• Boufal's goal was the Saints' 500th home goal in the Premier League, with 256 coming at their previous home The Dell and 244 at St Mary's

• Southampton had not won a Premier League home game against Middlesbrough since winning 4-0 in September 1996

• This was the first Premier League game between the two sides since March 2005, when Saints won 3-1 at the Riverside Stadium

• This defeat was only Middlesbrough's second away league loss this season, although they have drawn five of their eight matches on the road

What they said

Southampton manager Claude Puel: "In the first half we did not play with good fluency, but in the second half we were always strong and had good quality on the pitch. We changed the system and it was a very good second half and we deserved other goals.

"It is an important result after the disappointment of the squad [going out of the Europa League]. The three points are very important and it is always important after a disappointment to win the next game and we showed good character."

On match-winner Boufal: "He is a fantastic player - his qualities are fantastic. He can become an important player for the squad."

On the future of club captain Jose Fonte: "Now is not the moment [to discuss that]. It is the time to stay concentrated until the end of the year. The importance is the collective of the squad."

Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka: "We did almost everything, I can't say anything about the players. We kept working but in the Premier League you have to score your chances.

"We finished the first half well and I said we had to keep that intensity but they started the second half better than us. We're improving and growing, especially in defence."

On the injured Negredo and Ramirez: "It would be easy to say we missed them but we win and lose as a team and I am happy with the players who played."

What's next?

Both sides are back in Premier League action on Wednesday, with Middlesbrough at home to Liverpool (19:45 GMT) and Southampton away at Stoke City (20:00 GMT).