Boro will want to avoid some of the big name drop-outs from the Champions League. Should Boro finish second in their group they will play one of the teams below:
Olympiakos (Greece)
Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine)
Ajax (Holland)
Fenerbahce (Turkey)
Panathinaikos (Greece)
Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
Valencia (Spain)
CSKA Moscow (Russia)
A victory over Partizan Belgrade next week will give Boro the upper hand in their group and avoid the drop-outs. And assuming Villarreal beat Egaleo at El Madrigal a defeat against Partizan would mean that Boro finish third in their group, again avoiding the drop-outs.
Therefore it is reasonable to say that Boro cannot afford to draw next week, otherwise we will second and be pitted against one of the drop-outs.