Middlesbrough’s final pre-season friendly ended with a 2-0 loss to Villarreal at the Riverside.
Boro handed home debuts to recent signings Kike, James Husband and Emilio Nsue but went down to a couple of first-half goals.
Giovanni Dos Santos soon forced a stop from Tomas Mejias and then fired over after Kike had gone close at the other end.
Daniel Ayala saw a header ruled out but it was Gerard Balaguero making no mistake when a cross fell in his direction.
Striker Kike then nodded an Albert Adomah delivery wide before Balaguero allowed Leiva to find the roof of the net right on half-time.
Lee Tomlin and Bradley Fewster tried later efforts as changes were made in the second period, during which opportunities proved scarce in supply.
Middlesbrough: Mejias (Konstantopoulos 60), Bennett (Hines 46), Ayala, Gibson, Friend, Whitehead, Butterfield (Leadbitter 58), Adomah (L. Williams 58), Tomlin (Husband 73), Reach (Nsue 76), Kike (Fewster 76)
subs (unused): Smallwood, Halliday, Burgess
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