Scottish Daily Mail

GERRARD’S SIDE HOLD FIRM AMONG THE BEDLAM

Legia bring the noise but Gerrard’s men face down hostility to keep hopes strong

- MARK WILSON at the Polish Army Stadium

BY the end of a deafening evening for Rangers in Warsaw, the only damage done was to eardrums. Hope of a second successive qualificat­ion for the Europa League group stage remains very much intact.

Speaking at Wednesday’s pre-match media conference, Steven Gerrard had expressed confidence in his side’s readiness to face the expected hostility of the Polish Army Stadium.

Legia didn’t disappoint in that respect. This ground reverberat­ed to raucous noise throughout 90 minutes of close combat. Just not quite enough, however, to shake loose an advantage for their team.

Having looked the better side in the first half, Rangers became more stretched during the second period. No real heroics were required from Allan McGregor but the veteran goalkeeper, as so often in continenta­l competitio­n, was there when it mattered with a trio of solid saves.

Legia’s own durability is underlined by the fact they have now played seven Europa League qualifiers without conceding. Sheyi Ojo spurned an early chance to amend that record before Alfredo Morelos was denied after the break. It was the only real opportunit­y for the Colombian to mark his 100th Rangers appearance with a 58th goal.

And so Gerrard’s men departed without a sixth successive win, but with their unbeaten start to the campaign maintained. Given their slickness at Ibrox so far, they should feel confident of finding the killer touch needed to ensure progressio­n in next Thursday’s second leg.

That is far from a given, though. Legia offered points of concern and an away goal in Glasgow would ramp up the difficulty. Another tense affair may well await.

For Rangers, this was the first of a demanding four-game sequence over 11 days. A winning return to Premiershi­p business is needed against St Mirren before the rematch with Legia. Then comes the small matter of the season’s opening Old Firm match on September 1. Get through all those in a positive fashion and they could enjoy the subsequent internatio­nal break to the full.

In terms of their Europa League ambitions, there was an unmistakab­ly different atmosphere surroundin­g this tie. A sense of things truly getting serious. After swatting aside FC Midtjyllan­d’s growing reputation and unorthodox methods in the last round, Legia brought a transforma­tion in both surroundin­gs and intensity.

Excitement among the local fanbase was obvious. The biggest crowd this stadium has seen since it hosted Champions League fixtures in 2016/17 told a story in itself.

Around 1,000 Rangers fans had made the trip to the Polish capital. They were penned into a second-tier section at the opposite end of this compact, decibel-inducing ground from the most volatile element of the Legia support. Temporaril­y hidden by a giant banner that covered their entire stand, the Polish ultras ensured the red-hot reception Gerrard had predicted.

The Ibrox manager offered no surprises with the team he picked to try to turn down the volume. It was a selection that fashioned the first chance of a tight, intriguing opening period.

Eight minutes were on the clock when Jon Flanagan stepped in to win possession just inside the Legia half. He switched play out to the overlappin­g James Tavernier, who took a touch to control before launching an inviting cross towards the far post. Ojo charged in to meet it, but sent his header wide when he really should have found the target.

Denied a dream start, Rangers swiftly had to deal with a surge of pressure. Brazilian winger Luquinhas drifted infield from the left before firing in a low shot that required firm action from McGregor to repel.

Then Sandro Kulenovic could not quite sort out his feet after a whipped delivery from left-back Luis Rocha had evaded Connor Goldson’s attempted cut-out.

Rangers, though, soon regained midfield control. Gerrard’s side looked like the home team for spells of the first half, with periods of calm possession drawing gales of whistling down from the stands. The problem was in ending those interludes with clear-cut opportunit­ies.

They came close when Ojo’s strike was deflected wide to Flanagan. He found Joe Aribo, whose darting dribble and stood-up cross forced centre-back Igor Lewczuk to head behind with Light Blue jerseys lurking.

It was decent stuff from Rangers, with Legia struggling to gain a grip against a system that allows more bodies in a central area. Even so, danger still flickered.

When Nikola Katic missed a chance to cut out a through ball, Portuguese midfielder Cafu was given space to unleash an angled thump at goal. McGregor was equal to it with another strong block.

Come the interval, Gerrard would largely have been hoping for more of the same, just with a little more incision. An away goal would obviously be precious.

Legia re-emerged with the greater threat early in the second period. Luquinhas again sparkled when picking out Valerian Gvilia inside the area but he lifted a first-time shot over the bar.

The positive burst was maintained when Gvilia curled in a corner from the right. Lewczuk got up with a clever glancing header that only just cleared the bar.

That chance arose after Aribo was too casual in possession. There was a need for Rangers to avoid any self-inflicted wounds. Playing smart was key. The control exerted in the first half had drifted away. Stitching together passes was proving more problemati­c.

Flanagan was booked for fouling Pawel Stolarski, providing Gvilia with an opportunit­y to send more ammunition into the area. Again, Lewczuk connected well but this time his header, from a more promising position, crept wide of McGregor’s right-hand post.

If Flanagan was at fault there, he was the hero a couple of minutes later with a brilliant covering challenge on Kulenovic after Luquinhas had bamboozled the Ibrox centre-backs.

Gerrard’s men were awaiting their own chance to pounce. And it arrived on 63 minutes. Scott Arfield’s dabbed through ball sent Morelos in, but Radoslaw Majecki bolted off his line to thwart the Colombian’s strike.

Katic then headed a Davis corner over the top as Rangers began to push back. But the direction of traffic soon switched again as Marko Vesovic’s powerful thump was denied by McGregor.

The last chance for Legia arrived with eight minutes left. Once more, it was from a Gvilia corner to Lewczuk. On this occasion, Tavernier provided the vital block.

 ??  ?? Thwarted: Morelos is denied an away goal by home keeper Majecki
Thwarted: Morelos is denied an away goal by home keeper Majecki
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