ROOFE CAVES IN
Nine-man Rangers crash out but night ends in controversy after Kamara abuse
NINE-MAN Rangers crashed out of Europe last night amid angry scenes as Slavia Prague clinched victory at Ibrox.
The last 16 of the Europa League proved a step too far for the newly-crowned Scottish champions for the second successive season after Steven Gerrard’s men slumped to a first home defeat of the campaign in any competition.
With the Czech visitors ahead through a Peter Olayinka header, Rangers substitute Kemar Roofe was sent off for a high challenge that left stud marks on the face of Slavia keeper Ondrej Kolar.
When defender Leon Balogun followed him up the tunnel for a second booking, Nicolae
FOR Rangers, the last 16 of the Europa League is the glass ceiling they can’t go beyond. The immovable barrier they simply can’t breach.
Twelve months ago Steven Gerrard’s side slid to a 3-1 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen at the same stage of UEFA’s secondary competition. The last match played at Ibrox before a capacity crowd, that night also marked the first home defeat in Europe of the Gerrard era and their last home defeat of any kind in any competition.
A sixth loss in 45 European games was an ill-tempered and ugly affair in the end. A goal down after 14 minutes, any hope of the Ibrox side turning the tie around disappeared when substitute Kemar Roofe received a red card for a high, dangerous challenge on poleaxed keeper Ondrej Kolar after seven minutes on the pitch.
A second booking for central defender Leon Balogun — preferred to first-leg goalscorer Filip Helander — reduced the home team to nine men after 73 minutes.
From the subsequent free-kick Nicolae Stanciu — scorer of a stunning goal in the first leg — hammered the final nail into the aspirations of the Scottish champions with a sublime free-kick from 25 yards.
Tempers flared in the final minutes. Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo was booked for a late challenge before an incensed Connor Goldson took exception to remarks by Ondrej Kudela to team-mate Glen Kamara.
While a 1-1 draw in Prague promised much for Rangers, the warning signs were always there. A physically strong and highly competent Slavia side travelled to Leicester in the last 32 and won by the same scoreline. Whoever they draw in the quarter-finals should discount the Czech champions at their peril.
Rangers had ample reason to fancy themselves before kick-off. Unbeaten in their last 18 games and with an away goal to lean on, Slavia had to score at least once to stay in the competition. In the event it took them 14 minutes to cancel out the advantage wrought by Helander’s strike in the Czech capital. Slavia were comfortable winners in the end.
Allan McGregor earned all the praise in the world for the late Prague wonder save Slavia coach Jindrich Trpisovsky branded ‘better than the legendary save of Gordon Banks’ in the 1970 World Cup finals.
Nevertheless, the Rangers keeper will ask himself if he might have done more to stop Peter Olayinka’s near-post header bulleting low into the net from ten yards.
The source of the danger came from Scott Arfield’s inability to cut out a whipped, pacey cross from captain Jan Boril. Captain Goldson will also reflect on the ease with which Slavia’s No 9 nicked in to claim his third goal in nine games. McGregor got a hand to the header but the pace and power proved decisive in the end.
At kick-off the onus was on the visitors to score first. Rangers now had to score next and almost drew level immediately. Ryan Kent’s thumping shot had keeper Kolar scrambling low towards his right post to keep the ball out.
Where the Ibrox side recovered quickly from the loss of an early goal in the first game, however, this was more like the Slavia side who went to Leicester and brushed them aside. They were at it from the off. Their workrate was ferocious at times.
Rangers entered the night perilously aware of another danger. Three players started just one booking away from missing the first leg of the last eight if they made it through. Kamara was one of them and the Finnish midfielder could count himself unfortunate to go into the Israeli referee’s book after 38 minutes when he clattered into Stanciu with no intent. In an empty stadium the screams and appeals of the away team are heard louder than ever before. For 90 minutes Slavia were masters of the art.
Minutes after Alfredo
Morelos came to within inches of dragging Rangers back into the game with a thumping 20-yard drive, the home team survived some hysterical screams for a penalty from the Czechs.
Gerrard’s decision to pitch Balogun into central defence ahead of Helander raised eyebrows from the start. The decision seemed justified when a timely intervention denied Lukas Provod a simple tap-in after three minutes. It swung the other way before half-time when the veteran defender was chased down in possession on the touchline by Abdallah Sima.
As the No 12 ghosted into the penalty area Balogun gave chase, the hearts of Rangers fans stopping temporarily when his right leg came dangerously close to knocking the attacker to the ground. Neither the referee — nor VAR — were having it. Before the end of the night Balogun’s sloppy play would cost him.
Lacking the cutting edge of the last 32 when they lashed nine goals past Royal Antwerp over two legs, striker Roofe replaced Scott Arfield after nine minutes of the second half.
Plan B didn’t work out as intended. After seven minutes on the pitch, the £4.3million signing raised his studs to head-height in an attempt to steer Goldson’s long ball into the net and caught the Czech goalkeeper Kolar square in the face.
Nevertheless, it was a clear-cut case of endangering an opponent. Kolar was stretchered off and pictures showing some deep, pretty awful face wounds afterwards.
The Rangers striker walked off under his own steam, shown the red card by referee Orel Grinfeld (left). Had he tried to head the ball instead of raising his studs he might actually have won a penalty.
Slavia were forced to throw second-choice keeper Matyas Vagner in at the deep end. But the task was hard enough with ten. When Rangers went down to nine it was game over. Booked in the 18th minute, Balogun’s night of misery ended with a second yellow card 17 minutes from time. A poor piece of control on the edge of his own area forced a panicked challenge on Lukas Masopust. The veteran defender was still heading down the tunnel when Stanciu — scorer of that stunning effort in Prague — curled a quite outstanding free-kick into the top corner of the net from 25 yards. For Rangers the chance to work out some frustration — it boiled over in the final minutes - comes quickly. They face bitter rivals Celtic at Parkhead on Sunday.