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BELGIUM – Visiting the beer capital of Belgium at least provided Rangers fans with the means to soothe their sorrows.
A performance as flat as a day-old pint hasn’t completely ended hope of reaching the Champions League for the first time since 2010. But, my goodness, something much more potent will be required from Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his players if they are to turn the tie around at Ibrox next Tuesday evening.
Uncertain at the back and timid in attack, this had a completely different feel to the barnstorming displays that took Rangers all the way to last season’s Europa League final.
Seventy-six days on from Seville, a damaging false start was produced in the bid to secure a £40 million group stage windfall.
True, there was ill fortune in the ridiculously harsh handball penalty awarded against Connor Goldson following a VAR check.
But no-one could truly dispute Union «
Saint-Gilloise merited a two-goal first leg lead on the overall balance of play. The Belgians had numerous chances to inflict further pain.
Netted
Their opening goal, netted by Teddy Teuma midway through the first-half, was a dismal from a Rangers perspective. Weak defending preceded a weak attempt at a save by Jon McLaughlin.
The goalkeeper went some way too redeeming himself with a clutch of subsequent stops as Union carved their way through time after time.
This wasn’t even a proper home match for last season’s Jupiler Pro League runners-up. Union’s Stade Joseph Marien is something of a museum piece and doesn’t meet UEFA standards, hence the switch half an hour east to the UH Lueven’s Den Dreef Stadion.