IF RANGERS WERE MORE CLINICAL, THEY WOULD HAVE STROLLED THIS
Rangers may habitually carve out chance after chance on the domestic front at Ibrox, but on the European stage, they simply have to convert a higher percentage of the chances that do come their way.
Here, they squandered two gilt-edged opportunities in the opening 10 minutes, with Sheyi Ojo slicing wide from a great position and Alfredo Morelos of all people heading wide from a couple of yards after Ryan Jack had put the ball on a plate for the striker.
The night could have been so much more comfortable had they tucked those chances away, but as it was, Legia settled and opportunities became much harder to come by as the game wore on.
READ MORE: Rangers 1 Legia Warsaw 0: How the Rangers players rated in dramatic Europa League triumph
As the game ticked into the closing 20 minutes, again it was Ojo and Morelos who failed to convert a couple of quickfire opportunities, though they were far from the sitters that had passed them by early on. Thankfully, Morelos finally hit his mark.
BIG PLAYERS FAILED TO SHINE, BUT CHARACTER SHONE THROUGH
They say that in the big games, you need your big players to perform, so it was a bad time for two of Rangers’ top men to have a rare off-night.
Both team captain James Tavernier and Alfredo Morelos were a pale imitation of the players who so often make the difference for the Ibrox side, particularly in the early stages of the game.
In the opening 20 minutes alone Morleos missed a chance that he would normally tuck away with his eyes closed, his touch was heavy, his passing was poor, and he looked more Sunday League than Europa League.
Tavernier too was unable to find his range with his deliveries, and he almost gave Legia a rare sniff as he got his feet in an almighty fankle as he tried to clear.
To the credit of both men, they never let their heads drop and kept plugging away for the cause, and Morelos was rewarded as he finally found his range in injury-time.
SHEYI OJO HAS TO DO MORE TO STAY IN THE RANGERS SIDE
It’s still early days for the on-loan Liverpool winger, but of the new arrivals who have slotted into the starting 11, it is perhaps he who has the most work to do to convince the Ibrox faithful.
READ MORE: Who can Celtic and Rangers face in the group stages of the Europa League?
It’s not that he was particularly bad on the night, although he exhibited a first-touch that Broxi Bear would have been embarrassed about on one occasion as he tried to take the ball out of the sky, but he just didn’t do anything particularly remarkable either.
His work-rate is fine, his link-up with Borna Barisic down the left was ok, but he never threatened to beat his man or get in a telling cross. And when his big chance arrived, albeit coming early in the evening, he fluffed his lines as he shot wide of the post from 18 yards.
If you are going to hold down an attacking berth in a Rangers team, you simply have to do more, although he was a bigger threat when he switched to the right.
Steven Gerrard will hope there is in fact plenty more to come from a player who at 22, isn’t exactly a youngster anymore.
MIDFIELD THREE ARE THE KEY
The trio of Ryan Jack, Steven Davis and Joe Aribo were by far the most impressive part of the Rangers side on the night, helping Rangers to maintain the upper hand for the majority of the game.
Jack in particular continued his recent fine form, celebrating his Scotland call-up by snapping into tackles and backing up the play at every opportunity in an all-action performance.
READ MORE: Scotland tops UEFA coefficient chart following European qualifying
A fascinating battle awaits in the midfield in Sunday’s Old Firm game.
RANGERS FANS SHOWED YOU DON’T NEED OLD SONGBOOK TO CREATE CRACKING ATMOSPHERE
If the reputation that Rangers supporters are currently lumbered with is accurate, then the sight of the banner of Pope John Paul II unfurled by the Legia Warsaw fans was surely a red rag to a bull. That’s not to say that grown adults deserve credit for not going into meltdown at the simple sight of the Pope, but the Rangers crowd do deserve credit for heeding the pre-match warnings from their club about their behaviour and their songbook regardless of what was happening in the away end.
The atmosphere was still electric without the need for the bile, and it has to be hoped for the club’s sake that the UEFA and FARE observers came away with nothing to add to the Rangers’ rap sheet, and that the 3000 fans who missed out on this one will be back in place for the next game.
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