When the ultimate whistle blew on a blisteringly scorching Athens night time the place Rangers had at factors been each tremendously valiant and desperately susceptible, Russell Martin’s facet had in the end received what they got here for.
When the draw for the Champions League second spherical qualifier threw up Panathinaikos, it appeared probably the most hazardous of first steps to the league section, and Rangers rode their luck from all the way in which from Glasgow to Greece.
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And but whereas they’ve some Greek wastefulness and Jack Butland heroics to thank for his or her passage into the subsequent spherical, the character demonstrated by a group within the early days of an overhaul by the brand new head coach was to be admired as they drew 1-1 on the night time to progress 3-1 on combination.
Martin had requested his gamers to be resilient within the face of the Panathinaikos onslaught, and whereas different areas of their recreation would have been regarding, they delivered that in spades.
“We are going to get higher. The group will develop a lot from this,” Martin stated after the sport. That is his problem now, so as to add the standard to the foundations of the character his group has proven over these two testing encounters.
“That is the large factor for me with Russell Martin, is that he thrives on the coaching floor,” former Rangers goalkeeper Cammy Bell stated on BBC Sportsound.
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“The longer he has along with his gamers, the higher they’ll get.
“This Rangers group confirmed a little bit of character. It is all optimistic in the mean time, they simply have to hold this momentum going.”
‘That is the way you construct a group’
Djeidi Gassama will steal the headlines after his second gorgeous, and important, objective in as many video games.
The hosts had simply gone in entrance on the night time as VAR ultimately realised Filip Duricic was onside when he headed by Butland. The Rangers dam had lastly been burst, and there was nonetheless lots time left within the clock to overtake Rangers’ shrinking combination lead.
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Nonetheless, Gassama popped up three minutes after approaching and 7 minutes after that opener to slash a ferocious shot in off the submit to halt the hosts’ momentum.
Regardless of his influence, although, few embodied that Rangers group spirit higher than John Souttar, who stood tall on the coronary heart of the defence when the Greek facet had been threatening to tear Rangers aside.
“That is the way you construct a group, coming by means of these powerful moments,” Souttar advised BBC Scotland.
“It exhibits our mentality. There are going to be instances issues do not go our method. We have got [Butland] to thank as a result of he was glorious once more.
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“We might have been higher on the ball nevertheless it’s a brand new group and that is an enormous win for us.”
[BBC]
‘Fashion of play looks like it is probably not working’
That failure to take care of the ball was a recurring theme throughout the 2 legs. Again and again within the first-halves of each legs, Rangers gamers gave up possession cheaply.
They had been lucky not be punished towards Panathinaikos, however as they progress by means of the qualifying rounds and to, they hope, the Champions League league section, such sloppiness merely needs to be ironed out of their recreation.
“If Gassama hadn’t scored then, I believe Rangers might have probably conceded the sport as a result of at that time they had been far and wide nonetheless and Panathinaikos had been nonetheless dominant,” stated former Rangers striker Peter Lovenkrands on Sportsound.
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“Rangers do not actually have time. The model of play proper now, looks like it is probably not working proper now. That must be tidied up earlier than the subsequent spherical.”
That subsequent spherical will see Rangers up towards the Czech facet Viktoria Plzen. One other powerful check, and one through which Martin’s facet will have to be higher.
“You’d anticipate they’re most likely weaker opponents than Panathinaikos, but when Rangers play like they’ve performed over the 2 ties, they’ll make it tough for themselves,” stated former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday.
“Rangers are a piece in progress and will certainly enhance on what they’ve proven over the 2 legs.
“There are loads of issues for them to work on and new faces will assist as nicely.”
