UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE
(Matchday 6)
THURSDAY 12TH DECEMBER, 2024
8pm GMT
RANGERS 1(0) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1(0)
Rangers scorer:-
Igamane, 47
Spurs scorer:-
Kulusevski, 75
Attendance:- 48,064
Referee:- Sandro Scharer SUI
Assistants:- Stephane De Almeida SUI & Jonas Erni SUI
Fourth official:- Lionel Tschudi SUI
VAR:- Fedayi San SUI
Assistant VAR:- Tiago Martins POR
Teams:-
Rangers (4-2-3-1):- 1. Butland; 2. Tavernier (Capt.), 5. Souttar (sub 27. Balogun, 35), 4. Propper, 3. Ridvan Yilmaz (sub 47. Fraser, 80); 43. Raskin, 14. N. Bajrami (sub 8. Barron, 68); 18. Cerny (sub 21. Sterling, 69), 10. Diomande, 22. Jefte; 29. Igamane (sub 9. Dessers, 80)
Subs not used:- 31. Kelly; 38. King, 49. Rice; 7. Cortes, 20. Dowell, 45. McCausland; 52. Curtis
Booked:- Diomande (handball)
Spurs (4-2-1-3):- 20. Forster; 23. Pedro Porro, 14. Gray, 6. Dragusin, 13. Udogie; 30. Bentancur (sub 29. Sarr, 61), 8. Bissouma (sub 15. Bergvall, 61); 10. Maddison; 22. Johnson (sub 19. Solanke, 60), 7. Son (Capt.), 16. Werner (sub 21. Kulusevski, 46)
Subs not used:- 40. Austin, 41. Whiteman (GKs); 48. Dorrington, 79. Hardy; 64. Olusesi; 42. Lankshear, 78. Williams-Barnett
Booked:- Dragusin (foul on Yilmaz), Bergvall (foul on Raskin)
Deki and Dom combination earns Spurs a point
Thanks to Cassim Patel for this picture
In the cauldron that is Rangers' Ibrox Park stadium, packed to the rafters with fervent Scots, Spurs fell behind early in the second half but salvaged a point thanks to team work by substitutes Dominic Solanke and goalscorer Dejan "Deki" Kulusevski.
Rangers (who have an "old firm" League Cup Final on Sunday) stood one place above Spurs before and after a result that keeps both teams in the hunt for a top eight place and automatic qualification for the Round of 16. With two games to play in the New Year just 4 points separate teams in 8th and 25th places. UEFA must be pleased with how the new style competition is working out.
Rangers gave it their all and Spurs, fielding their third and fifth choice centre-backs with no other option, did not help themselves at times with poor passing out of defence. Fraser Forster made one astounding save, and several vital interventions to keep Spurs in a game where they had more possession, but Rangers had more (and better) chances to win.
Such is Spurs' injury crisis, Ange Postecoglou could only list 11 of the permitted 12 substitutes. They included two goalkeepers and six teenagers. Archie Gray, who played on the right of Dragusin, is still only 18.
Rangers, who play second fiddle to Celtic for too much of the time had a banner on display before kick-off "Make Rangers Great Again". Their coach Philippe Clement and players are certainly doing their best.
The Spurs team huddled close to their fans before kicking off and playing away from the travelling section. After only 23 seconds Werner won a corner off Rangers captain James Tavernier. Maddison's corner was easily held by English goalkeeper Jack Butland. That was probably Werner's best achievement of his 45 minutes. In his post-match press conference Ange Postecoglou took the unusual step of describing Werner's performance as "unacceptable." It was true though and Werner was replaced by Kulusevski.
Werner hit a shot (inevitably) off target after Son went down outside the box when no foul was given by Swiss referee Sandro Scharer. Rangers countered after Tavernier won the ball off Werner. Bajrami's shot was deflected by the keeper for a corner, which Forster punched clear.
Werner did pass inside to James Maddison who was heading for the bye-line and passed inside to Son, but the Spurs captain could get no strength on his shot. In what was a bright start for Spurs, Brennan Johnsson got the better of Raskin before passing inside to Maddison, whose right foot shot was blocked and won a corner, after which Bissouma had a shot blocked near the edge of the area.
Both Bissouma and Bentancur will be suspended on Sunday and had the luxury of starting together. I was somewhat surprised that neither player played the full 90 minutes.
Another Werner cross was easily defended and now Rangers offered danger in the Spurs half. Spurs players were closed down effectively. Jefte won a corner when his effort was blocked by Pedro Porro. Bentancur headed the corner ball clear. Spurs broke out and Son crossed to Johnson, whose looped shot was held by Butland. Forster got down to a low shot by one of Rangers' top scorers Cerny, and a cross by Jefte ran through the danger zone in the Spurs box.
Forster hit an Ederson-like pass down the left wing for Werner, but Timo failed in his efforts to control the ball. Cerny tried another shot from distance but was over the target.
Rangers' centre-back John Souttar needed treatment and was replaced by Leon Balogun. A poor ball out by Butland gave Son a chance, but he was fouled by Raskin. Nothing came of the free kick or following corner. Maddison and Werner combined to feed the ball to Johnson, whose effort was well-saved by Butland but was offside anyway.
Bentancur crossed from the right and won a corner, after which a Son cross was touched by Gray but passed wide. In first half added time, Forster saved from Cerny at his near post.
Rangers took the lead within two minutes of the restart. Tavernier lifted an excellent cross from deep on the right over the Spurs defence and Moroccan Hamza Igamane met it perfectly with a left-footed shot inside Forster's left post.
The home fans sniffed a dramatic win and Forster had to save low yet again from Vaclav Cerny. Dragusin soon blocked well when the Czech international tried again.
Johnson met a Kulusevski cross, but his shot passed just over the corner of Butland's goal. Forster was down well to a cross by Cerny, after which Igamane was off target. In a spell of Rangers pressure Diomande also missed the target.
Ange made a triple substitution on the hour with Solanke, Sarr and Bergvall replacing Johnson, Bentancur and Bissouma. Bergvall soon had a chance after a Maddison cross was punched clear, but his shot bounced once before going wide.
Spurs had a free kick when Maddison was fouled just outside the box. Maddison hit the dead ball short to Kulusevski who fired over. After clever football by Spurs on the left, Maddison lifted a cross to Pedro Porro, whose shot was saved by Butland.
Dragusin had been booked for a foul on Yilmaz, but Bergvall was unlucky to see yellow when he seemed to be impeded and fell over Raskin.
The Spurs equaliser followed a slow build-up by Spurs sparked with a ball to the edge of the box where Maddison's touch led to Solanke taking the ball to the bye-line on the right, cutting it back to Kulusevski who scored with a well-placed shot inside the post.
Now Spurs had their tails up. Kulusevski won a corner after Solanke's pass and the same two players combined after a Pedro Porro cross, but Rangers cleared. Maddison swung in a free kick after a foul on Bergvall but there was a clash of heads as Dragusin challenged Balogun for the ball.
Rangers thought they were going to see a winner after substitute Dessers rounded to players in the box only to see Forster make an astounding save at close range. Forster, once a Celtic player, must have enjoyed that moment in front of the home stand.
Dessers did have the ball in the net after a cross from the left, but he had been one of three players offside. Bergvall was considered lucky by some to escape a second yellow card outside our penalty area.
Spurs attacked down the left wing through Son and Udogie. Maddison lifted the ball to Solanke, but his header went straight to Butland. Butland also held a Pedro Porro cross in added time.
Rangers did look the more likely winners for most of the time, but probably tired towards the end. Spurs can be well pleased with a hard-earned point.
Pos P W D L F-A GD Pts
Rangers 8 6 3 2 1 13-7 6 11
Spurs 9 6 3 2 1 11-7 4 11
Europa League Placings in full
