Steven Gerrard’s Rangers made the 3,500-mile journey to the Russian capital of Moscow to take on Spartak Moskva in the fourth matchday of this season’s Europa League campaign. The Gers went into this game level at the top of Group F alongside Villarreal with five points each, whilst Spartak sat bottom with just two.
Spartak Overcome Rangers in Seven Goal Thriller
Line-Ups
The hosts made six changes to their starting 11 that suffered a 2-1 defeat to FC Ural the weekend prior. The Russian Premier League outfit had been on a run of poor form before this tie, winning just one of their last seven home games. They also recently sacked their manager, Massimo Carrera, which didn’t go down well with the fans.
As for Rangers, the Ibrox club made five changes to their 11 that overcame St Mirren 2-0 on Saturday. Most notably, 18-year-old Glenn Middleton took the place of the injured Ryan Kent. Gerrard clearly admires Middleton, who had scored three goals before this match for Rangers, most of his appearances having come from the bench.
A Great First Half
The reverse fixture between these two finished goalless, despite both sides having their fair share of chances. Rangers started this match very well, with an own goal in the fifth minute from Eremenko giving them an early lead at the Otkritie Arena. The lead did not last long though, with Daniel Candeias leaving Lorenzo Melgarejo heading in a cross from Ivelin Popov to equal the scoring.
Just five minutes later, however, Rangers managed to restore the lead. A perfectly timed run from Candeias saw him bring the ball down from a long ball by Jon Flanagan, leaving him unmarked and free to hit it home. The Portuguese winger was able to redeem himself after his mistake earlier on. A Spartak counter-attack less than ten minutes later saw centre-back Connor Goldson hit the ball into his own net. Defender Rasskazov squared the ball to the offside Hanni, but Goldson’s right foot got in the way as the game found itself equal again.
But despite losing the lead twice, the Glasgow side kept their heads held high, and not long before half-time, a deflected ball coming off Bocchetti landed perfectly for youngster Middleton to slot in the net. The 18-year-old continues to excite Rangers fans with his impressive showings.
A fourth goal for the Gers was wrongly disallowed before half-time. A Candeias cross that met striker Alfedro Morelos, who ended the play by scoring, was deemed offside. A controversial shout, with replays proving the decision made by the linesman was incorrect. But Rangers were ahead which was the main thing. Gerrard’s men able to take advantage of an unorganised Spartak Moskva defence, with the first half ending 3-2.
A Different Second Half
As for the second period, Rangers did not manage to replicate their first-half showings during this part of the match. In the 58th minute, an Allan MacGregor save from a Sofaine Hanni shot landed in the direction of Spartak’s Luiz Adriano, allowing him to head the ball into the net, whilst the Rangers defence attempted to recover quickly.
Just 69 seconds later, Hanni, who had already tested MacGregor in the match, had the beating of the Gers midfield, and an ambitious shot from far out managed to find its self in the back of the net.
In just over a minute, Rangers went from leading this match to going behind, whilst without a doubt playing the better football. Both teams had chances, but the result remained 4-3 as the game came to a close. A frustrating night for the Gers in Russia – taking the lead three times but ultimately ending the match in defeat.
The other match in Group L ended 0-0 between Rapid Wien and Villarreal in Vienna, a result which would have been perfect for Rangers, should they have won on Thursday.
What Next?
Villarreal hold onto top spot in the group, with six points. Spartak and Rangers both have five points after matchday four’s result, with the former leading on the head-to-head points rule. Rapid sit bottom, creeping behind the rest with four points to boast.
The hosts next take on FC Ufa on Sunday, a team that Rangers overcame in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League. Despite a sense of uncertainty both on and off the pitch, coming out victorious against a good Rangers team should boost the confidence of both the players and the fans. The Moscow side are also back in the running for a place in the next round of the Europa League, with their next match in the competition at home against Rapid Wien at the end of the month.
Rangers take on Motherwell on Sunday. Despite struggling this season, Motherwell have won their last two outings, as well as taking Rangers to a draw in August at Fir Park. The Gers will look to bounce back from the Spartak defeat as they return to Ibrox. As for the Europa League, they take on group leaders Villarreal at home. A win would see them overtake the Spanish side and potentially go top, depending on the group’s other result.
Main Photo
