match thread (image) [FT] Rangers 3 (Morelos 43, 90+4; Tavernier 84 pen) - 1 Rapid Vienna

[Bill 13,717]

It's nights like this I wish I still drank alcohol. I'm sitting here reflecting on an amazing evening and thinking about the long years of chaos and ridicule, not knowing if we'd ever see this club back on it's feet again. To paraphrase Churchill, I think we reached the end of the beginning tonight. I feel a huge weight has lifted over the last few months and we need to acknowledge the achievement of those running the club today. It looks like being a hell of a ride as this rocket takes off. 

[ian1964 10,724]

[Soulsonic5791 408]

51 minutes ago, Bill said:

It's nights like this I wish I still drank alcohol. I'm sitting here reflecting on an amazing evening and thinking about the long years of chaos and ridicule, not knowing if we'd ever see this club back on it's feet again. To paraphrase Churchill, I think we reached the end of the beginning tonight. I feel a huge weight has lifted over the last few months and we need to acknowledge the achievement of those running the club today. It looks like being a hell of a ride as this rocket takes off. 

Hear, hear Bill.

[26th of foot 6,084]

The first half was hard work. Our midfield did not know whether to stick or twist. In possession, we were 3-4-3; out of possession, we played 4-1-4-1. The ball inside Flanagan was offside, the resultant pass was a good one, only bettered by the tackle that saw the ball break to Berisha for a simple sweep into the net. I thought we were fcuked, lots of credit for the quickest of replies, a well worked equaliser.

 

The second half was a triumph. Twenty minutes from the end, and several Rapid players were blowing. Ejeria became a torment, good close control and little gives and goes, particularly with Kent. Rapid had racked up deserved cautions too. Morelos cut across the Rapid defender in a fluid move and the Ref' correctly awarded a penalty. Tav' stroked it into the net. The back heel from Candeias was delicious that led to the third.

 

Flanagan was my man of the match, and the atmosphere was outstanding. I think Rapid finished with six players booked, they could not stay with us in the second half.

[barca72 440]

22 minutes ago, 26th of foot said:

The first half was hard work. Our midfield did not know whether to stick or twist. In possession, we were 3-4-3; out of possession, we played 4-1-4-1. The ball inside Flanagan was offside, the resultant pass was a good one, only bettered by the tackle that saw the ball break to Berisha for a simple sweep into the net. I thought we were fcuked, lots of credit for the quickest of replies, a well worked equaliser.

 

The second half was a triumph. Twenty minutes from the end, and several Rapid players were blowing. Ejeria became a torment, good close control and little gives and goes, particularly with Kent. Rapid had racked up deserved cautions too. Morelos cut across the Rapid defender in a fluid move and the Ref' correctly awarded a penalty. Tav' stroked it into the net. The back heel from Candeias was delicious that led to the third.

 

Flanagan was my man of the match, and the atmosphere was outstanding. I think Rapid finished with six players booked, they could not stay with us in the second half.

11' Veton Berisha (SK Rapid Wien) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

51' Andrei Ivan (SK Rapid Wien) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

63' Mert Müldür (SK Rapid Wien) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

68' Stefan Schwab (SK Rapid Wien) is shown the yellow card.

90+1' Andrija Pavlovic (SK Rapid Wien) is shown the yellow card.

43' Allan McGregor (Rangers) is shown the yellow card.

[Malangsob 1,264]

Good game Gers. I knew you could do it.

[Rousseau 10,640]

That was alright, eh?

[Rousseau 10,640]

[Uilleam 5,948]

2 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

That was alright, eh?

Not according to pro Gers hater, Micky Grant in today's Times, J-J. 

Unsurprisingly churlish, even for him. 

 

Mind you, I know what game I watched. I expect that you do, too....

 

 

Alfredo Morelos has Ibrox dreaming of good times again

Rangers 3 Rapid Vienna 1

Michael Grant, Scottish Football Correspondent

October 5 2018, 12:01am, The Times

Football

 

“Ten in a row” is a phrase it is advisable to use only in a whisper around Ibrox. The prospect of Celtic reaching ten consecutive titles hangs heavily on Rangers, even if it is years away, but how they roared, sang and bounced about delivering their own double-digit sequence last night.

Rangers aren’t always easy on the eye in Europe but they are stubbornly tough to break down and for the second game in a row they showed the character and resilience to recover from losing positions, this time putting away Rapid Vienna with two late goals that brought the house down.

After ten Europa League games, eight qualifiers and now two matches in group G, they remain unbeaten and how Ibrox roared when Alfredo Morelos scored twice, either side of a James Tavernier penalty, to claim the three points. They were better than Rapid Vienna and did more to push for a win, even if they were toiling to find a way through until the dying minutes.

If they can go to Villarreal and twice come from behind to get a point in Spain, and then recover again from going a goal down to the Austrians just before half-time, what is on the cards when Spartak Moscow come to Glasgow on matchday three later this month? On all the evidence from the European ties so far they will give absolutely everything and play with enough fire to give the Russians some serious trouble.

It didn’t need to be pretty to be effective. An explosive end to the first half — a goal for both sides within three minutes — entirely misrepresented what had been a dull game up until then. Scruffy, scrappy play, niggly little fouls and stoppages, players failing to control the ball or find team-mates with passes, it was mediocre. The sides were evenly matched, as hard-working, committed and predictable as each other. At that point there was no flow to it, no sense of either team exerting any control or superiority. Hardly a chance was made by either of them before the goals came.

Veton Berisha’s cross did find the striker Marvin Potzmann for a header after 22 slow minutes but his connection, though firm, flew well wide. Rangers took even longer to fashion an opening and when Ryan Kent floated a ball into the goalmouth Morelos might have scored were it not for Mateo Barac bravely throwing himself into a challenge to block.

All of this unfolded in an atmosphere far better than the game deserved. Ibrox was boisterous and noisy for Rangers’ first home group game in European competition for eight years. Around 1,000 Austrian fans contributed plenty, presenting a loud block of green and white behind one corner flag. “Come on you boys in green,” said a banner that they unfolded at kick-off, a Celtic slogan that drew predictable jeers.

Rapid’s domestic form has been so poor that their manager was sacked after losing again at the weekend. Even the new man in charge, Dietmar Kuhbauer, a popular figure from his playing days with the club, could not have anticipated the swift penetration that they displayed, from nowhere, to cut through Rangers and take the lead.

Mert Muldur and Thomas Murg worked the ball to Andrei Ivan on the right and his cross deflected off Lassana Coulibaly to reach Berisha, who buried a finish past Allan McGregor. No matter how well-worked it was, though, the goal should not have stood. Ivan was clearly offside when he took possession, a point McGregor made so forcibly to the French referee that he was booked.

Steven Gerrard’s side are now top of the group with four points from their two matchesSNS

Rangers’ equaliser was swift, Tavernier bursting down the right wing and flashing over a low cross which fell for Morelos to convert in the goalmouth. Again, it should not have stood. Rapid correctly raised their hands to indicate Morelos was offside when the ball came to him. Again, Ruddy Buquet was not interested.

Rangers did not give Rapid a minute’s peace after that. They pressed aggressively, kept pinning them back and were forceful and aggressive. What they lacked was guile and penetration. There were no shots forcing Richard Strebinger to work in the Rapid goal, no quality deliveries into the area, no runs in behind the Austrian back four.

Tavernier and Morelos thrashed hopeless balls to nowhere. Ryan Kent grafted tirelessly. Daniel Candeias was good in bursts. Scott Arfield started well but faded, slashing a half-chance well over from the edge of the box. Ovie Ejaria and Coulibaly were a partnership in front of the back four, with Ejaria having licence to advance without offering any threat until a fine diving header which forced a terrific save after 67 minutes.

Better late than never, and Ejaria was not finished. It was his through ball that played in Morelos, inviting Mario Sonnleitner to haul him down. Tavernier stepped up and buried the penalty with ice in his veins. Rapid pushed desperately to equalise, opening themselves for Candeias’s backheel to spring Morelos. He was through for a one-on-one and made it 3-1 with almost the final kick.

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/alfredo-morelos-has-ibrox-dreaming-of-good-times-again-mw3nhpqr3

[Frankie 8,570]

Morelos was well onside - nonsense from Grant who is clearly hurting.