Attendance 47,360
Rangers are through to the group stages of the UEFA
Cup after a nerve-wracking evening at Ibrox – winning
through on a penalty shoot-out following a 1-0 win
that squared the aggregate score over the two legs.
It was a night of unbelievable tension as the fate of
the two clubs, and perhaps also that of ‘Gers Manager
Alex McLeish, hung in the balance before a
near-capacity crowd of 47,360 – but in the end it was
the Light Blues who made it through to join Hearts in
the group stages, the Tynecastle men having secured an
excellent 2-2 draw in Braga to eliminate Sporting 5-3
on aggregate.
The Ibrox men made three changes from Sunday, with
Maurice Ross, Dado Prso and Nacho Novo replacing
Marvin Andrews, Stephen Hughes and Shota Arveladze.
Maritimo, who currently lie second in the Portuguese
League, made one change from the first leg in Madeira
– Albino Macaes replacing Luis Filipe.
The home side fielded Prso alongside Steven Thompson
up front, with Novo playing wide on the right of
midfield, Chris Burke wide on the left, and it was the
Croatian who had the first scoring opportunity of the
evening in eight minutes when he moved onto a Bob
Malcolm pass only to see his shot blocked after he had
switched from left foot to right.
Ten minutes later Novo’s header from a Ross cross
skimmed the crossbar, then almost instantaneously the
Spaniard turned provider – his cross finding Thompson
whose header was just wide.
Rangers were keeping up the pressure – yet somehow the
Portuguese looked the more comfortable in possession,
but the more direct approach of the home side almost
paid dividends in 27 minutes when a Burke cross
head-flicked on by Prso found Novo whose header was
touched over by visiting goalkeeper Marcos.
In the very next attack Marcos again denied the home
side – turning wide Prso’s header from a Fernando
Ricksen free-kick.
Prso again tested the Madeira custodian with a low
twenty-yard drive that was comfortably held in 36
minutes.
A strong penalty claim was waved aside just before
half-time when Ross went down under a challenge from
Wenio, but the half ended goalless with a growing
unease amongst the Ibrox legions.
Rangers pressed from the restart, Novo’s header from a
Burke corner in the opening seconds being beaten away
by Marcos.
A second – and arguably stronger – penalty claim was
again denied in 48 minutes when Ferreira fouled Paulo
Vanoli – but again the decision was negative.
The pressure was relentless as the Light Blues strove
to level the aggregate score – and sixty seconds later
Marcos again rescued Maritimo when he parried a Prso
volley from a Thompson head-flick.
It was beginning to look like one of those nights when
Novo’s shot on the turn from a Prso pass in 53 minutes
flew inches wide.
Gregory Vignal replaced the limping Vanoli in 65
minutes, and within four minutes the substitute was
involved in the opening goal when his cross was
touched on by Thompson for Prso who swivelled to sweep
the ball into the net.
Maritimo should have been reduced to ten men within
seconds when Leo Lima felled Zurab Khizanishvili with
an elbow off the ball, but as so often the referee and
both linesmen missed the incident.
Stephen Hughes replaced Bob Malcolm in 78 minutes as
Rangers went all out for the winner, and an erroneous
flag denied Prso a second in 80 minutes when he turned
a Ricksen pass into the net.
With time running out Jean-Alain Boumsong headed over
from a Burke corner in 88 minutes, but extra-time it
was, and Arveladze replaced the young Scot in 95
minutes.
Chances were few and far between in the extra
half-an-hour, Thompson’s header from Vignal’s corner
in 105 minutes being held by Marcos.
Four minutes later Hughes saw his shot from a Prso
lay-off blocked, then as the clocked counted down
towards a penalty shoot-out an Arveladze cross broke
to Novo who shot over the bar.
Maritimo had hardly threatened all evening – but
substitute Manuel Fernandes broke forward with two
minutes remaining to shoot just wide from 25 yards.
Penalties it was – at the Broomloan Road End, and
Nacho Novo converted the first before Stefan Klos gave
his team an immediate advantage when he saved from
Chainho. Both Prso and Manuel Fernandes did the
business before Arveladze saw his effort turned onto a
post by Marcos. Rangers retained the advantage however
when Ferreira struck the crossbar with Maritimo’s
third. Thompson and Leo Lima both converted, leaving
Vignal to strike the decisive blow to send Rangers
through.
A relieved McLeish summed up:
“We deserved to go through. Maritimo were very
dangerous. Dado Prso got stronger as the game wore on.
Marcos had some great saves. I hope this result is a
springboard to better times. The fans were brilliant.
This is a great night for Scottish football.”
A final thought – when Rangers were last involved in a
penalty decider with a Portuguese side (Sporting
Lisbon 1971-72) they went on to win the competition.
RANGERS Klos; Ross, Boumsong, Khizanishvili, Vanoli
(Vignal 65); Novo, Ricksen, Malcolm (Hughes 78), Burke
(Arveladze 95); Prso, Thompson
UNUSED SUBS G. Smith, Andrews, Lovenkrands, McCormack
CS MARITIMO Marcos; Ferreira, Tonel, Van Der Gaag,
Miguel; Macaes, Wenio, Chainho, Alan; Leo Lima,
Manduca
UNUSED SUBS Teixeira, Nobre, E. Santos, F. Santos,
REFEREE Vladimir Hrinak (Slovakia)