A stirring second-half display by Rangers should have all but eliminated Sporting from the Europa League but defensive slackness in the final minute allowed Mat�as Fern�ndez to head an equaliser for the Portuguese.
"I thought we played very well in the second half, up until we scored," said the Rangers manager, Walter Smith. "We allowed Sporting a little bit too much of the ball after that, which culminated in the equaliser. To lose out at the end was a blow to us."
Steven Whittaker had sent Ibrox into raptures ? the level of celebration illustrated that European competition still has importance in these parts ? with a 66th-minute header. Rangers drew 0-0 with Sporting here on their way to the 2008 Uefa Cup final, with a 2-0 win in Portugal securing a place in the last four. With that in mind, this was far from a ruinous result for Rangers but a clean sheet would have been cherished by their manager.
Sporting are third in Portugal and their visit to Glasgow was preceded by tales of infighting. There was little sign of such turmoil during a tidy start by the visitors, H�lder Postiga narrowly failing to put them in front after 20 minutes with an angled shot. Rangers' play was too frantic but they mounted a response just after the half-hour.
Smart play by El Hadji Diouf released Whittaker on the right flank, with Kyle Lafferty heading the midfielder's near-post cross just wide. Diouf ended the first half in a rage after picking up a booking for diving on the edge of the Sporting penalty area.
Rangers started the second half in more endearing fashion. Whittaker should have sent them in front after just 16 seconds but Rui Patr�cio saved his one-on-one attempt and Lafferty lobbed wastefully over shortly after.
Whittaker at least made amends for his aberration. Vladimir Weiss was the supplier from a corner, which the former Hibernian player powerfully headed home. A Sporting riposte was to follow, with Fern�ndez rising unchallenged to meet a Jo�o Pereira cross.
There remained time for Lafferty to pass up two chances and Rangers can take heart from the likelihood that more should arrive in Lisbon next week.
The Rangers captain, David Weir, insisted his team could score in Portugal. "There's no doubt we can," he told ESPN. "The tie's still wide open, there's still all to play for."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/feb/17/rangers-sporting-lisbon-europa-league
No comments:
Post a Comment