Gamble could cost Gio £40m jackpot
THe first obstacle standing in the way of rangers and a £40million Champions League jackpot was a club owned by a professional gambler.
One glimpse of the visiting line-up in Belgium last night suggested Giovanni van Bronckhorst — like Union saint-Gilloise’s english chief tony Bloom — is no stranger to taking chances.
The Ibrox boss showed huge faith in starting new boys Malik tillman and rabbi Matondo either side of central striker and fellow recent arrival antonio Colak.
Alfredo Morelos, Joe aribo and ryan Kent were among the shooting stars of last season’s european adventure as the Ibrox side came within a penalty shootout against eintracht Frankfurt of winning the europa League.
However, with aribo having moved to southampton and Morelos and Kent both injured, there was room for new heroes to emerge just 76 days on from that seville showdown.
Make no mistake: this was a big night for the new signings as rangers chased Champions League group-stage football for the first time since 2010.
Tillman entered this match with prior experience in the competition, coming off the bench for Bayern Munich last season away to Dynamo Kyiv and at home to Barcelona.
Matondo was making his tournament bow but knew what it felt like to score against Union during his spell last season on loan with Cercle Brugge.
Both were expected to provide chances for Colak, who proved so effective in scoring twice at Ibrox last season as swedish champions Malmo knocked rangers out of the Champions League in the qualifying stages.
Matondo and particularly tillman, who had impressed off the bench in Livingston on saturday, caused early problems for the hosts but Union then got a grip of this game.
And when they took the lead, it was a goal that put a question mark over Van Bronckhorst’s other big selection gambles.
As teddy teuma thumped a shot straight through Jon McLaughlin and into the net, the spotlight was firmly on the keeper who had been preferred to veteran allan McGregor. James sands, playing in defence in the absence of John souttar and last season’s star Calvin Bassey, who is now an ajax player, did not look too clever in the build-up and indeed for much of the evening.
Rangers did offer a brief response to going behind with tillman creating the Ibrox side’s best chance for Colak.
His chipped delivery into the box was begging to be buried by the Croatia international but he could not get a connection on it.
After that, the new-look Ibrox front three fell out of the match as rangers created nothing against a miserly Union defence.
Surprisingly, however, Van Bronckhorst decided not to make any changes — until Ben Davies and ridvan Yilmaz replaced ryan Jack and Borna Barisic with just more than 20 minutes remaining.
But it required two fine saves by McLaughlin to stop simon adringra and Dante Vanzeir extending the lead.
And Union were awarded a penalty after a Var check on a handball by Connor Goldson.
When Vanzeir sent McLaughlin the wrong way with 15 minutes left, it was a reminder to last season’s europa League finalists that they do not hold a monopoly on fairytales.
Just 12 months ago, Union emerged from Belgium’s second tier and were preparing to play their first season in the top division in 48 years.
Under the majority ownership of Bloom, who is also chairman and owner of english Premier League side Brighton, they finished runners-up to champions Club Brugge.
that set up this encounter with rangers; the club’s first european tie in 58 years since losing 2-0 on aggregate to Juventus in the Inter-City Fairs Cup in 1964.
Union’s 9,400-capacity Joseph Marien stadium — which has been likened by scotland striker Lawrence shankland to ayr United’s somerset Park — does not meet UEFA criteria.
this match had to take place at the Den Dreef stadium in nearby Leuven... but Union never looked ill-at-ease on an unfamiliar surface.
and but for McLaughlin it could have been 3-0 when he made a fine save from the dangerous Vanzeir and a vital goal-line clearance by James tavernier kept the tie just within reach.
By then the bright start by rangers seemed an eternity ago. the Ibrox side had folded in pretty dismal fashion and now face an uphill task to return to the promised land of the Champions League.
How Van Bronckhorst and his men badly need to find form and harness the electric Ibrox roar that helped power them all the way to seville three months ago.
For it is Union Saint-Gilloise who hold all the cards ahead of tuesday’s decisive second leg in Glasgow.