Rangers 2-1 Servette: Hosts 'complicate' Champions League tie to leave Ibrox 'sombre'
- Published
'Servette sussed Rangers out a wee bit after break'
Given the nature of Saturday's defeat at Kilmarnock, more than a few Rangers fans might well have shaken your hand for a one-goal advantage after the first leg of Tuesday's Champions League qualifier with Servette.
But by full-time at Ibrox, that notion was punted well into the Govan night as Michael Beale's men passed up a flurry of golden chances to kill the tie against the 10-man visitors.
The reaction of the home crowd certainly didn't seem like one that had just watched their team earn a victory.
Following the wasted opportunities, Rangers again looked out of ideas in spells against a side that were happy to camp in, prompting frustration in the home support.
"Sombre" was how former Ibrox striker and Sportscene presenter Steven Thompson described the mood at full-time.
"It's quite low," fellow ex-Rangers forward Neil McCann added. "When Servette went down to 10, I don't think Rangers capitalised on that extra man. Beale changed it up by changing personnel but didn't really change the tactics."
How Rangers 'complicated' the tie
Watch best of the action as Rangers beat Servette
With Servette throwing punches in the first half, Rangers were able to slice through the Swiss side at will and raced into a two-goal lead thanks to a James Tavernier penalty and Cyriel Dessers' first goal for the club.
Beale saw the positives in that, hailing a "fantastic start" with "real energy". But, even before David Douline's dismissal, a more precise final ball or a more clinical finishing touch would have had Rangers out of sight in the tie.
Failure to take those chances, though, left the door open for the away side, who got a goal back through a spot-kick of their own.
Douline's second booking unexpectedly brought a halt to more Rangers opportunities, with Servette settled on a one-goal deficit.
Dessers said his side made the game "complicated" as passes became safe, with the hosts' narrow attacking formation lacking the inventive play required to unlock the visitors' deep block - a similar issue Rangers faced at Kilmarnock.
But Beale believes with time and more minutes on the pitch, his new-look attack will click. That will have to come quickly, though, with next Tuesday's second leg "on a knife's edge".
"We had a lot of good opportunities where you can see we're fine-tuning," the Rangers manager told BBC Scotland.
"I'm confident because we go there with a one-goal lead, but that can be wiped out in a second. We've got to take our chances because I believe those chances will come next week and we need to be more decisive.
"It's something I've said quite a few times as a Rangers manager now, but the amount of chances we created through good play, you're hoping that your strikers show a little composure on their last shot.
"We know this is the Champions League, so you know the other club are always dangerous. The job is only half done."
'This is Champions League. The job is only half done'
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