Rangers See Off Wasteful Panathinaikos In Champions League Qualifier

Djeidi Gassama turned super-sub erstwhile again pinch a important extremity arsenic Rangers hit profligate Panathinaikos 3-1 connected aggregate successful their Champions League 2nd qualifier successful Athens.

Leading 2-0 from nan first limb astatine Ibrox, only different good capacity successful nan Olympic stadium from their goalkeeper Jack Butland, who thwarted nan Greek broadside successful nan first leg, kept nan necktie goalless astatine nan break.

Filip Djuricic opened nan scoring pinch a header successful nan 53rd infinitesimal but moments aft climbing disconnected nan bench, Gassama, who scored aft coming disconnected nan chair connected his debut past week, levelled astatine 1-1 pinch a stunning drive.

A singular commencement to nan 21-year-old’s Rangers profession took nan power retired of nan location side’s fightback, though Russell Martin should not beryllium fooled. His broadside rode their luck for nan 2nd clip against Panathinaikos, who will rue a bid of missed opportunities complete nan 2 games.

In what was Martin’s first distant crippled arsenic Rangers head and only his 2nd successful Europe he kept nan aforesaid broadside which started past week astatine Ibrox.

Rui Vitória’s broadside were without suspended right-back Georgios Vagiannidis, sent disconnected successful Glasgow for picking up 2 yellowish cards, and his spot was taken by Giannis Kotsiras.

The location broadside bossed and battered Rangers successful nan first half, starting successful nan 5th infinitesimal erstwhile midfielder Anastasios Bakasetas drove conscionable wide from nan separator of nan container pursuing different corner.

In nan 14th minute, Rangers’ dithering defender Max Aarons was robbed by erstwhile Manchester United man Facundo Pellistri, which near nan attacker one-on-one pinch Butland and nan goalkeeper brilliantly blocked nan shot.

Butland past made different terrific prevention from a close-range header by skipper Fotis Ioannidis, who had beaten defender John Souttar to a awesome transverse from Pellistri.

Panathinaikos defender Erik Palmer-Brown headed a Bakasetas free-kick complete nan barroom from six yards earlier nan unmarked Pellistri missed a sitter successful nan 28th minute, blasting precocious complete from 12 yards aft James Tavernier had conceded possession wrong nan box.

Rangers’ 2 existent efforts came successful uncommon attacks, Findlay Curtis missing nan target and midfielder Nico Raskin heading over, some from corners.

Waves of Panathinaikos unit continued aft nan break but erstwhile Duricic wrong-footed Butland pinch a header from a Bakasetas cross, nan emblem went up for offside. However, aft a agelong VAR check, Italian referee Simone Sozza awarded nan extremity but much play quickly ensued.

Panathinaikos's Filip Duricic (right) successful action against Rangers' Max Aarons. Photograph: Georgia Panagopoulou/EPA

Moments later, Gassama, nan erstwhile Sheffield Wednesday guardant who replaced Curtis aft nan goal, fired successful disconnected nan station from 14 yards successful a uncommon Rangers onslaught to reconstruct their two-goal lead.

Rangers' substitute Cyriel Dessers missed a awesome chance successful added clip erstwhile he grounded to hit Bartlomiej Dragowski pursuing a counter-attack but it mattered not. Rangers moved into nan adjacent qualifying information and guaranteed themselves group-stage European shot of immoderate benignant this season.

Shelbourne’s hopes of progressing successful nan Champions League were ended by a 4-0 aggregate conclusion to Azerbaijani nine Qarabag successful nan 2nd qualifying round.

Trailing 3-0 pursuing past week’s first limb astatine Tolka Park, nan League of Ireland champions were beaten 1-0 astatine Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium successful Baku.
Elimination intends Joey O’Brien’s broadside driblet into nan 3rd qualifying information of nan Europa League.

Qarabag, who played successful nan Champions League group shape during nan 2017-18 season, went up connected nan nighttime successful nan 44th infinitesimal acknowledgment to an ain extremity from John Martin.

The visitors came adjacent to a 56th-minute equaliser erstwhile midfielder Kerr McInroy was denied by location goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski pursuing good activity down nan near from Liverpool loanee James Norris. O’Brien’s men could person fallen further down successful nan 68th infinitesimal but Wessel Speel saved a punishment from Qarabag’s Brazilian midfielder Kady Borges.