SPARTAK v GERS LATEST
Gers star Ovie wants to fire silver bullet in Russia just like last time against Ufa
OVIE EJARIA popped up with the stunning strike that catapulted Rangers into the group stage of the Europa League.
Now he would love to come good with a winner in Moscow that would fire the Light Blues to within touching distance of the last 32.
The on loan Liverpool midfielder reckons Rangers have the power in forward areas to make the Russians suffer, even if they drew a blank against Spartak at Ibrox a fortnight ago.
They warmed up with a vital 2-0 win at St Mirren on Saturday, but Saints keeper Craig Samson reckons Allan McGregor will prove as vital to their cause as Alfredo Morelos.
The Buddies No.1 has hailed his rival for two stunning first-half stops that helped stem crisis talk around Steven Gerrard after Rangers were ko’d in the Betfred Cup by Aberdeen and dropped their first Premiership points of the season at home in a 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock.
Goals from Daniel Candeias – which he admitted to team-mates was a fluke – and Morelos at New St Mirren Park helped put Rangers in a positive frame of mind as they prepare to fly to Russia on Wednesday for the second time this season.
Ejaria scored on their previous visit to the country and his strike in the 1-1 draw with Ufa proved vital as nine-man Rangers held on to progress to the group stages with a slender 2-1 aggregate win, banking the club a windfall of £10million.
Ejaria said: “Hopefully I can help the team win the game with a goal but the main thing is to win the match really.
“Spartak are a very good side. They have played in the Champions League in recent seasons and we know what they’re capable of, having just played them.
“They had quite a few men behind the ball when we met them at Ibrox so it will be about sticking to our gameplan and keeping trying things when we play them over there. Winning games builds confidence and we want to keep doing that.
“The final pass and the end product is what we’ve focused on getting right. If we do that I’m sure we’ll score goals.
“The win against St Mirren was important.
“Conditions were difficult, particularly playing against the wind in the first half.
“It played into their hands a bit. We tried to stick to our gameplan, dug deep and it worked for us.
“We stayed in the game and knew when we had the wind in the second half that we would create chances and thankfully we took them.
“I was quite confident because we were in control and had more of the ball.
“It was just a question of taking the chances when they came.
“Daniel said it was a cross for his opener but we will take that and then Alfredo finished really well from a tight angle.
“He scores a lot of goals, which is crucial, because they win you games.
“If he keeps scoring goals hopefully he can keep helping the team to win games.
“He works hard for the team, protects the ball quite well.
“He’s a handful and gives defenders a tough game. We’re really happy that we have him.
“The number of games we have aren’t a problem but it’s just a matter of focusing on your recovery.
“If you keep on top of it you’ll be fine. It’s the most
games that I have played in the early part of a season since I started out as a senior pro, the toughest I’ve had so far.
“But we have the squad to cope. We’ve a lot of good players and if the gaffer wants to rotate the squad we know we’ll be alright.
“We want to win every game and that was why we celebrated the way we did when Daniel scored. Everyone was really happy we made the breakthrough.”
Candeias has been labelled a lucky so-and-so for his opener at St Mirren, just 11 minutes from time, with a wind-assisted cross-cum-shot that soared into the top corner of Samson’s net from 25 yards.
The St Mirren keeper said: “Some are saying it was a cross, but I was set for a shot. If it was a shot, it was a hell of a finish. If it was a shot, fair play to him.
“If it was a cross, then it was a bit of luck that killed us. If it was a cross then he’s a jammy b ***** d.
“I don’t think we ran out of gas. In fact I think Allan McGregor won them the game.
“In the first half he made saves that were absolutely fantastic.
“If it had been 2-0 at half-time to us I don’t think that would have been unjust.
“Greegsy made some terrific saves to keep them in the game. “I know him personally and I know how good a goalkeeper he is. I know how important a player he is for Rangers and I’m not just saying it as a member of the goalkeepers’ union. “He has lots of confidence at the moment. The save he made from Ian McShane’s first-half free-kick was world class. “The ball took a deflection and was going into the top corner, so he had to adjust his position and stop it. That was just natural to him. It was a brilliant save.”