After watching them topple tournament favourites Borussia Dortmund in the last 32 of the Europa League Red Star Belgrade academy chief Dragan Mladenovic accused Rangers of buying into their own hype. Confronted with accusations of arrogance, Giovanni van Bronckhurst bristled.
After this stunning first leg in Glasgow the Ibrox manager can be quietly confident of one thing. With the tie half done he’ll never say so publicly. At third time of asking, however, a place in the quarter-finals now looks assured for Scotland’s champions. On a night when the Dutchman got his game plan spot on once again, Rangers are almost there. And, on recent evidence, they’ve every right to fancy their chances.
The opening half hour of this game was breathless, witnessing two Rangers goals, two disallowed strikes for Red Star and a quite brilliant penalty save from Allan McGregor. On all three occasions visiting predator Aleksandr Katai was the man denied. Thereafter the action never let up. It was fast, frantic and, at times, fantastic to watch.
Rangers skipper James Tavernier opened the scoring in the 11th minute on Thursday night
As debate rages over the cost of VAR in Scottish football Rangers continue to push hard for the appliance of science. On nights like this it’s not difficult to see why.
Rangers skipper James Tavernier was outstanding once again and has now opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the last three European ties. Two of the three have come after VAR spotted incidents no one else had clocked.
Arriving in Glasgow on a run of six successive league wins – scoring 18 goals and conceding just three – the visitors had already had ample cause to curse the presence of Big Brother.
Striker Katai netted a hat-trick in Sunday’s 5-0 thumping of Novi Pazar and he thought his hot scoring streak had continued after a confident start from Red Star when he cracked an unstoppable shot into the top postage stamp corner after three minutes.
Tavernier opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the third successive European ties
The offside flag had gone up seconds earlier – quite clearly – and a VAR check was never likely to make much difference to that one.
Rangers got the decision and they got another one after eleven minutes which absolutely no one saw coming. When Ryan Kent won a delayed penalty on the say of the video assistants there were no claim, no real scream for anything at all.
If anything the winger seemed to have lost control of the ball. Stopping the play moments later, however, Dutch referee Serdar Gozubuyuk was advised to trot to the pitchside monitor. That only ever means one thing.
Footage showed defender Slavoljub Srnic dangling a leg to catch Kent in the area. It was soft stuff, but Rangers were hardly about to quibble. To the glee – and mild disbelief – of the home crowd the penalty was awarded. Leaning back James Tavernier planted the ball high into the top corner for 1-0. Just as he had in both first halves in the stunning win over Borussia Dortmund.
The game had already witnessed more interventions than Govan police station and another one was just around the corner. Within two minutes of Rangers taking the lead Katai had the ball in the net yet again when Allan McGregor fumbled a through ball. The forward gathered the loose ball and sidefooted into the net from 12 yards. Once again the assistant’s flag was up. Once again VAR took a look and waved it through.
Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos lashed a first time shot into the net to double their advantage
Red Star couldn’t blame technology for the defending which saw the Scottish champions double the lead in the 15th minute. When Rangers won a corner they had their dander up and no wonder. Things were well and truly going their way.
Resisting the urge to throw a corner into a crowded area, James Tavernier laid it back to Ryan Jack on the edge of the box instead.
In a theme of the night the midfielder’s chipped cross was headed down by a Red Star head to the feet of the last man on earth they’d want it falling to. In the Europa League Alfredo Morelos simply comes alive and when he lashed a first time shot low towards goal there could only be one outcome. Rangers were two ahead and Ibrox was bedlam.
McGregor had quite the ten minute spell in the end. His blushes spared by the officials for the second disallowed goal redemption arrived in quite spectacular fashion.
Red Star Belgrade won a penalty after 23 minutes when Ryan Jack was shown a yellow card for a tug on the shirt of Mirko Ivanic.
Veteran Rangers defender Leon Balogun rose to bullet a header into the corner of the net
Maybe Katai should have realised by now this wasn’t his night. The spot kick was struck firmly enough low and hard towards the bottom corner. To the striker’s disbelief, however, 40-year-old McGregor produced a quite outstanding one handed save to push the ball away and keep the score at 2-0.
Rangers were enjoying themselves now. Red Star less so.
With Ibrox bouncing the play flowed from end to end. The team in blue almost made it 3-0 minutes before the interval when Glenn Kamara smashed a fizzing strike over the crossbar after terrific work by Ryan Kent and Calvin Bassey.
Sweeping to the other end a flowing move from the Serbian champions crafted a golden chance Ohi Omoijuanfo – the Norwegian with four goals in his last six games. A tame effort suggested this wouldn’t be the night of Red Star’s much vaunted front two. Nothing was going right.
A change of tactic was key to Rangers killing the tie off early the second half. In the first half Tavernier laid the ball back for Jack to stick it in the mixer, with spectacular results for the second goal.
Rangers were awarded a penalty after the ref was advised to check the pitch-side monitor
Winning a corner after 51 minutes the outstanding Rangers captain not only won the corner. Going for the more conventional route this time he earned himself an assist when veteran defender Leon Balogun rose to bullet a header into the corner of the net.
When a team shows signs a scab it makes perfect sense to pick it. Red Star’s suspect of corners almost gifted home team a fourth goal when Connor Goldson’s header was cleared off the line.
In defence, meanwhile, Rangers refused to succumb. When Guelo Kanga’s smashing 25 yard strike beat McGregor, crashed off the bar and bounced off the line it summed up Red Star’s night.
Six minutes from time the visitors had their third goal of the night chalked off by yet another offside flag against substitute El Faroud Ben.
To have even the faintest hope of keeping this tie alive the Serbian champions need to catch a break in front of goal in the second leg. Their fortunes can hardly grow any worse.
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