Stoke are seeing a lot more of the ball now. But as Giannelli Imbula starts to think about offloading the ball after a wander through the Boro midfield there's little support around him. 

The pass out to the left, where left-back Erik Pieters maybe should have been in support, dribbles out of play for a Boro throw. 

Dion Dublin
Former Leicester and Aston Villa forward on Final Score

It could be the kind of season where Middlesbrough need to score ugly goals and Alvaro Negredo is the kind of centre-forward you sign to get those goals. 

He's got off the mark very early. He loves balls into the box and if he starts scoring he could have a very good season. He's an excellent signing.

Image source, Reuters

Ryan Shawcross goes into the book for a challenge on Gaston Ramirez - bit of an arm in the back as he went up to challenge for a header. 

That means Adam Forshaw can come on for De Roon, who's presumably made it to the doctor's bay by now.

Meanwhile, Xherdan Shaqiri makes his entrance by slipping over the ball as he looked to get one past George Friend. The Boro left-back leading that battle so far.

There's a problem here for Marten de Roon - he pulled up chasing Bojan and has been helped off the field. The £11.75m signing from Atalanta seems to have done his hamstring. On his debut. Oh dear.

Adam Forshaw's getting ready to come on. In the meantime, Boro are down to 10...

Bojan whips in a corner - Stoke's first of the game - but it's high and wide of everyone, zipping over the bar.

And moments later the former Barcelona man blasts waywardly into the stands from range. Not good.

The ideal start for Middlesbrough then, and if last season's form is anything to go by, Stoke could well find it tough going from here. 

Boro conceded just eight goals at home all season in the Championship. Granted, England's second tier didn't feature Marko Arnautovic, Xherdan Shaqiri, or Mame Biram Diouf...

We've seen very little from Mark Hughes' side so far. Ryan Shawcross blasts the ball out of play looking for a long diagonal. 

Only a question of time before Xherdan Shaqiri has his say for example though?

...Boomed over the bar off the head of Gaston Ramirez. A good start from the hosts this though. 

Slick from Boro. Long ball touched into Ramirez by Negredo, spread quickly wide to Downing. Friend is on the overlap and it's another corner...

George Friend signed a new four-year contract this morning, and he's wearing Boro's captain's armband in the absence of Daniel Ayala. 

Here is is cutting in from the left, getting plenty forward, before Given shows the better side of his handling by claiming a high ball from Stewart Downing.

Oooh! Awkward from Given as he claws an Albert Adomah cross from deep over the bar - should have been a comfortable claim really. 

Stoke deal with the corner well, but promising signs from Boro in their first foray forward.

We are under way. 

Nice reception for Stoke keeper Shay Given, 40, who played here for Boro on loan a few seasons ago.

Here we go then. 

A sell-out crowd. Boro fans singing Pigbag., external A Parmo reference. What more could you want? 

Kick-off is upon us.

Mark Lawrenson
BBC football expert

There is work to be done for both sides but one newly-promoted team always seems to win on the opening day and, this year, I am going for Boro.

Prediction: 1-0

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Image source, .

"Everyone round my house for a Parmo." 

No, not a message from Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson. Although he seemingly is a generous guy. 

A plane with a banner carrying the message above has just buzzed across the Boro sky. 

This is what a Parmo is.

Image source, .

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Stoke

This season: 10th

Last season: 9th

Manager Mark Hughes built on the work of Tony Pulis to make the Potters genuine top-10 material and it should be no different this time around.

Joe Allen was an excellent signing at £13.5m from Liverpool after an outstanding Euro 2016 for Wales and Marko Arnautovic has agreed a new contract to provide threat along with Xherdan Shaqiri.

Stoke are still in the market for West Bromwich Albion's Saido Berahino so Hughes is determined to have plenty of firepower.

The excellent Jack Butland will be back in goal after injury so I expect another very decent season for Stoke.

Head over here to see Phil's predictions in full - and share your own thoughts on what might happen. 

Stoke City

Image source, Getty Images

16 July: Burton 3-0 Stoke (Pirelli stadium)

23 July: Preston 1-1 Stoke City (Deepdale). Goal: Diouf

27 July: Orlando City 1-2 Stoke (Titan Soccer Complex, Florida, US). Goals: Diouf, Bojan

6 August: Hamburg 1-0 Stoke (Volkspark Stadion, Hamburg, Germany)

Summer signings: Ramadan Sobhi (Al Ahly), Joe Allen (Liverpool), Ryan Sweeney (AFC Wimbledon)

Alvaro Negredo - on loan from Valencia this season - is down on the pitch with his Boro team-mates, booming the ball into a practice net. 

Just the nine goals in 32 Premier League games during his last spell in the English top flight, with Manchester City as they won the league in 2013-14. Is he the man to get the goals? Defence shouldn't be a problem - Aitor Karanka's side conceded just eight here in the league last season.

Jordan Rhodes - signed from Blackburn Rovers for an initial fee of £9m in February - is on the bench...