Villa boss Martin O’Neill has cranked up the stakes for tonight’s game against Middlesbrough by insisting it is a “must-win” game to keep their European dream alive.

Sixth-placed Villa aim are eight points adrift of the final Champions League place after Liverpool and Everton won at the weekend.

O’Neill’s side must now finish fifth to guarantee UEFA Cup football.

“We’re down to one league place available for Europe,” said O’Neill. “It’s the game in hand. We’ve got to win it, not try to win it.”

Gareth Southgate’s Middlesbrough were dumped out of the FA Cup by Championship club Cardiff on Sunday.

But O’Neill insisted they could not take things easy, saying: “We haven’t reached the stage yet where we could treat a game even remotely lightly – far from it. 

“We haven’t got that ability.

“If we perform like we did against Fulham, we might not even finish in the top 10. I don’t know how anybody could look at certain games and chalk off victories.

“Middlesbrough have got players who can hurt you.”

Villa will tonight clock up a first at the rebuilt Villa Park, where between 38,000-39,000 is expected.

With Boro having sold just 175 tickets up to yesterday morning, the game will be watched by solely Villa fans on all four sides at pitch level as visiting supporters will be housed in the Doug Ellis Stand upper tier.