Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Euro glory night Tangerines tame
GLENN Middleton marked his first start for Dundee United with a stunning strike as the Tangerines defeated AZ Alkmaar 1-0 on an unforgettable European night at Tannadice.
The former Rangers and St Johnstone forward fired past AZ keeper Hobie Verhulst on the hour mark following a slick one-two with debutant Jamie McGrath.
It was the least United deserved from a tactically astute, resilient display – peppered with no shortage of quality from the hosts.
It speaks volumes that some Arabs may even feel like their heroes could have taken a more handsome lead to the Netherlands next Thursday.
Continental football has changed irreparably. Money has skewed everything. The glory days of the 1980s – defeating Barcelona and reaching the Uefa Cup final – are long gone.
But make no mistake. In 2022 this is a result that deserves its place in United’s proud European history.
Now, to finish the job in Alkmaar. An onerous challenge, still. But one United have proved they are up to.
Dundee United supporters set the scene for an electric night – from the march to the stadium to a stunning pre-match display.
The “corteo” saw a sea of Tangerine lap through the sunkissed streets of Dundee, while a sold-out Tannadice created a wall of noise.
As if that was not sufficiently inspiring for the players as they waited to take to the field, club legend David Narey – perhaps the greatest to ever wear a United shirt – was honoured prior to kick-off.
The ordinarily publicity-shy Narey earned a thunderous ovation as he received a glass trophy from chairman Mark Ogren to celebrate his 76 European appearances for the club; more than any other United player in history.
The stage was set.
Narey would have loved what he witnessed from his beloved United.
Head coach Jack Ross stated during his media conference that the Terrors had nothing to fear from AZ Alkmaar.
A quality side? Absolutely.
But, as he pointed out: United face – and get results against – quality sides with regularity in the Premiership.
And Ross’s words proved prophetic.
After a nervy opening 10 minutes, United settled into their groove and proved that – for all the talk of AZ’s technical expertise – they could play a bit, too.
Dylan Levitt was a class act, barely wasting a pass. Craig Sibbald was superb, making two key interceptions and stinging the palms of Verhulst with a powerful drive.
Charlie Mulgrew was defensively outstanding and started attacks with aplomb.