RANGERS ........ SPARTA ........
TURNS out Giovanni van Bronckhorst is not just a manager of fairly serious credentials. He must also be one helluva chef into the bargain.
Because, in the space of just a few days, whatever he cooked up behind closed doors at Auchenhowie transformed Rangers from a side which had lost its hunger into a team with a ravenous appetite to get back to winning football matches.
This was so much more than just the two-goal win which was required to book a place in the knockout rounds of the Europa League. It was, comfortably, their most impressive, energetic and cohesive performance of what has been up until now a consistently unconvincing campaign.
Yes, there were a couple of wobbles, one midway through the first half and another towards the end of the second, but by then the job had been completed. Sparta Prague had been polished off, devoured by two goals from the insatiable Alfredo Morelos.
That the striker looked back in the mood to wreak havoc suggests van Bronckhorst has spent his time wisely since taking the reins. But it was not only Morelos who was much improved. All over the pitch his players looked as if they had been rediscovered and rejuvenated.
By the final whistle, after a double save from Allan McGregor which defied belief, they’d also reconnected with a home support which had been in danger of running out of patience.
Van Bronckhorst had promised to implement big changes to the team Steven Gerrard left behind. So it was, perhaps, something of a surprise to see his first line-up looking so remarkably similar to one that the old boss would most probably have sent out.
Without the injured Leon Balogun, he told Calvin Bassey to fill in on the left side of central defence – just as Gerrard did in September when these two sides met in the Czech capital.
As for the rest, it was very much tried and tested in all areas. Skipper James Tavernier kept his place at right-back – despite the clamour for Nathan Patterson to take that berth.
Connor Goldson remained in position despite causing so much anger at the weekend when he didn’t have the hunger to take a second-half bite out of Hibs.
And the misfiring Morelos kept his place in attack, despite looking as if he’s spent the first four months of the season taking bites out of just about everything else bar the opposition.
Ianis Hagi also came into the starting XI at the expense of Scott Arfield but this team had a more familiar look to it than many might have expected nonetheless.
What became apparent very quickly was a repositioning of Joe Aribo in a more attacking, central role. What also became clear was a major upgrade in attitude and application. In fact, Rangers started at such furious pace and intensity that they could have had this tie in the bag in the opening 22 minutes.
They tore through Sparta’s last line in the opening 10 seconds when Tavernier slid a superb ball down the line to get Morelos moving.
The Colombian thundered past his man then whipped in a low cross for Ryan Kent only for keeper Dominik Holec to intercept in the nick of time.
Kent then left four Czechs for dead in a flurry of faints and stepovers before cutting the ball back for Aribo whose first-time shot almost cracked the top of the bar as it cannoned up and over.
But the breakthrough was coming.
It arrived in 14 minutes and was a thing of considerable beauty too. Again, Tavernier started it with a superbly measured through ball to release Hagi in behind. He played his part too, sliding onto it to hook the ball into the path of Morelos who swept home a first-time shot from 16 yards to complete a stunning move.
And when Tavernier split Sparta open again, with a perfectly-chipped pass into the path of Hagi, another big chance came and went. This time he hurled in a cross and although Aribo looked like a sure thing the ball bobbled up as he made connection and, again, his effort flew over.
Still, this was everything van Bronckhorst would have been hoping
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for. Then, from nowhere, an unexpected scare at the other end seemed to jolt Rangers back into a fragile state of self confidence.
Yes, McGregor saved the day, jabbing out his left boot to redirect a shot around his post. But, just as suddenly, all their early momentum and swagger disappeared. It did not return until close to half-time when van Bronckhorst got the chance to get them back inside for another talking to.
Whatever he said, it worked. Rangers re-emerged with a spring back in their step, hounding the Czechs and pressing them deep into their own territory. Kent came close in just two minutes when he cut inside onto a Goldson pass and curled a right-foot shot across the face of goal and wide of Holec’s left-hand post.
But this high-tempo restart spooked Sparta all over again and in 48 minutes they self-destructed in spectacular style. Again, with Rangers players darting around them, panic set in. Or Filip Panak to give him his proper name.
He attempted to float a pass across his own six-yard box where Morelos was lurking to nod in to an empty net.
With Panak’s senses now completely scrambled he presented Kent with the next big chance in 50 minutes but, as he raced in on goal, he smashed a shot Holec did well to keep out.
The keeper pulled off another stop to deny Morelos a hat-trick just after the hour after a slick, sweeping move. Then Kent set up Aribo with another huge chance but, once again, the midfield man cleared the bar when he ought to have sealed the deal.
This set up a fraught finale but Rangers survived a number of scares before McGregor came up with a breathtaking double save to keep out quick-fire headers from Jakub Pesek and Matej Pulkrab – clawing the first one out with a hand then clearing the next with a boot. It was almost miraculous.
But then, this was the night when Rangers suddenly remembered what they used to be all about.