VAR might have its critics but it certainly creates drama. Within a quarter of an hour a review had led to the Rangers defender Robin Pröpper being dismissed, while in the second half Athletic Bilbao had a goal disallowed only to be awarded a penalty, in the same sequence of events, that was then saved. The end result was a goalless draw for Rangers to take to the Basque Country next week and the hope they can return for the Europa League final.
The red card sharpened the Rangers minds as they fought to stay in the tie. They twice thought that had been snatched away when first Álex Berenguer fired in from an offside position before failing to redeem the situation from the spot.
If the monitor was the focal point on the sidelines, Liam Kelly was it on the pitch. The goalkeeper was brought in to replace Jack Butland after a litany of mistakes in recent weeks and the dismal loss at home to Hibernian on Saturday. Barry Ferguson described dropping Butland as “one of the toughest things I’ve had to do” but the backup proved the coach’s bold choice to be the right one.
It looked as if the hard work by every Rangers player had taken its toll when the fresh legs of Gorka Guruzeta and Berenguer got beyond the backline. The former took the first shot and the latter the second, which finally defeated Kelly. No one saw any immediate problem but the eagle-eyed video boffins spotted an offside to disallow a goal and then a handball in the buildup from Dujon Sterling. Ibrox was confused and deflated by what was going on but Kelly maintained his focus and thrust a leg upwards to flick Berenguer’s penalty over the bar.
Kelly provided the quality while everyone else showed strength of character and determination to keep Athletic at bay. It was always going to be difficult for Rangers but once Pröpper’s yellow card was upgraded to a red in the 13th minute for a foul on Iñaki Williams on the edge of the box, the task doubled for a team hoping to avoid a sixth successive home defeat. The decision was harsh but justified by the referee, Istvan Kovacs, who enjoyed a busy night and got plenty of steps in jogging over to the monitor.
“I’m really proud of the effort and the commitment that my players showed tonight,” said Ferguson. “I said to them before the game, we need to make sure we’re in this tie, and certainly the tie is there for us to go in and try and get through into the semi-finals.”
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Ferguson ensured the players became militantly compact after going down to 10 men against the team fourth in La Liga. Athletic dominated from that moment onwards, enjoying more than 70% possession on the night. They lacked a cutting edge however, struggling with being constantly hounded by two layers of a blue wall sitting outside the box. “I couldn’t care less if they had 100% possession, so long as we make sure we don’t concede,” Ferguson said.
Maroan Sannadi had numerous chances to break the deadlock but a mix of Kelly’s reflexes and poor finishing kept the red and white corner of Ibrox quiet. Athletic had 19 shots but only three on target. The hosts were not aiming to score, they just wanted some hope to cling on to in seven days’ time, when a full complement of players in the San Mamés Stadium could prevail.
It was still a case of holding on for Rangers, who finished with nine men after Sterling was taken off on a stretcher late on. They stood firm and thoroughly deserved the result, and now have one meaningful visit to Bilbao to look forward to. “We’ll go and give it our best shot,” Ferguson said, which should worry Athletic.
Source: theguardian.com
