Cup Group F with an emphatic 3-0 win over Austrian
Champions Grazer AK at Ibrox tonight, all the goals
coming during an impressive second-half for the Light
Blues.
The home side made one enforced change from the heroic
staring eleven who defeated the anti-football Celtic
on Saturday with Bob Malcolm replacing the suspended
Alex Rae.
Making a welcome return to the substitute's bench was
Dragan Mladenovic, although the Serbian
Internationalist would not take part in the evening's
proceedings.
Rangers were aware of Alkmaar's 3-1 win over Amica in
Wronki in the other group game before kick-off.
Grazer looked comfortable in the opening stages,
taking the game to Rangers at every opportunity, thus
belying their pre-match promise to play a game of
containment in order to secure a point - although it
was Austrian goalkeeper Andreas Schranz who was first
to be called into action when he beat away Malcolm's
thundering thirty-yard drive from a Peter Lovenkrands
pass.
The gamble of fielding Gregory Vignal (struggling with
a groin injury) failed in 29 minutes when he limped
off to be replaced by Michael Ball.
Two minutes later a Dado Prso head-flick found Marvin
Andrews whose 22-yard shot was held by Schranz.
In a lightning counter-attack on 35 minutes the
Austrian Champions demonstrated their threat when
Mario Bazina, free down the left, found Joachim
Standfest racing through the middle with a pinpoint
cross - only for the outrushing Stefan Klos to advance
to block his effort.
Sixty seconds later Lovenkrands should have opened the
scoring from a Prso pass only to sky the ball high
over.
The visitors continued to look the more threatening
however - Bazina's twenty-yard drive following
Fernando Ricksen's partially headed clearance from a
corner flashing just over.
The half ended goalless - but there was unease amongst
the 46,453 spectators over what had on the whole been
an unimpressive first-half for Rangers.
Manager Alex McLeish made a tactical change during the
early stages of the second-half, Nacho Novo moving to
right midfield, Namouchi to left, and Lovenkrands
partnering Prso up front.
The deadlock was broken in 57 minutes when a Ricksen
free-kick from the left found Novo unmarked at the far
post to sweep the ball into the net.
Suddenly Rangers were reinvigorated - and ten minutes
later Schranz denied Prso, holding the Croatian's low
thirty-yard drive.
The Austrian Champions were far from finished however
- substitute Matthias Dollinger made space on the
right, his cross finding Roland Kollhann whose
flashing header was held by Klos in 73 minutes.
Rangers were now on top nevertheless - and Andrews
almost scored the crucial second two minutes later
when his flick from a Ricksen free-kick found Schranz
once again equal to the task.
In the very next attack Schranz yet again denied the
Ibrox men, holding Namouchi's thirty-yard drive from a
Prso lay-off.
Lovenkrands - very much the victim of various assaults
on Saturday - was substituted by Arveladze in 77
minutes, and departed to a massive ovation from all
sides of the ground.
A one-goal lead is never secure however - as Bazina
almost demonstrated six minutes later when, having
skinned Zurab Khizanishvili, he saw his 25-yard shot
held by Klos.
Victory was secured two minutes later when yet another
Ricksen free-kick found Prso at the far post, his
header across goal being stabbed goalwards by Namouchi
only to be blocked on the line by Gernot Plassnegger.
Time appeared to stand still until Arveladze squeezed
the ball over the line to make it 2-0.
The goal of the game was left until the dying seconds
when Khizanishvili found Novo wide and deep on the
right. A mazy run took Nacho to the goal-line, his low
cross being turned into the net by Namouchi.
Alex McLeish afterwards reflected on a good night's
work:
"We have no divine right to win - Stefan Klos made a
very good save at 0-0. I changed the system in the
second-half. We raised the tempo. It would be nice to
win the group, but the first priority is to qualify.
Alkmaar are a quality side, and Auxerre are still in
it. Nacho Novo is getting better with every game - it
would be a blow if he was suspended, but we believe he
is innocent."
Of course he is Alex. Next step Alkmaar.
RANGERS Klos; Khizanishvili, Boumsong, Andrews, Vignal
(Ball 29); Namouchi, Ricksen, Malcolm, Lovenkrands
(Arveladze 77); Novo, Prso
UNUSED SUBS G. Smith, Mladenovic, Hutton, Ross, Hughes
GRAZER AK Schranz; Plassnegger, Tokic, Ehmann (Skoro
81), Pogatetz; Standfest (Dollinger 72), Sick,
Kollhann, Amerhauser; Aufhauser (Muratovic 69), Bazina
UNUSED SUBS Almer, Potscher, Ramusch, Majstorovic
REFEREE Olegario Benquerenca (Portugal)
Attendance 46,453