Nine-man Rangers fall apart against Slavia Prague and make wretched exit
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The comprehensive nature of this victory for Slavia Prague was more striking than the fact it happened at all. Rangers suffered a Europa League defeat over 90 minutes at the 13th time of asking; the playing of the closing stages with nine men rather endorsed an uncharacteristically dismal evening for Steven Gerrard and his team.
Gerrard will reflect on the first of those dismissals, issued for a crazy Kemar Roofe challenge, as a turning point in this tie. Nonetheless, Slavia always looked more competent and streetwise than the Scottish champions. Having swatted Leicester aside in the last 32, Slavia are rather enjoying these trips to British shores. They will watch the quarter-final draw with relish as Gerrard denies his players any opportunity to ponder what might have been. There is, after all, the small matter of an Old Firm game on Sunday.
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Gerrard used his programme notes to reference the world class stop produced by Allan McGregor in the dying seconds of the first leg that allowed Rangers to leave the Czech capital with parity. An important Gerrard caveat followed: “It would be remiss of us as a coaching staff not to look at why he is having to produce saves like that.” If it seems odd to suggest defensive frailty, given Rangers’ stubborn resolve on the domestic front, Europa League games and the increase in quality of opposition therein have produced traces of weakness. Gerrard’s own sentiment, and not just on this occasion, inferred he is wise to that. Teams who target Rangers in wide areas tend to encounter vulnerability.
Gerrard’s touchline frustration was visible – and understandable – when Slavia opened the scoring. Jan Boril was afforded far too much time and space when planning a cross from the left flank. Boril’s delivery found the head of Peter Olayinka, who beat McGregor at his near post. An earlier warning shot had been fired by Nicolae Stanciu, whose ball from the left was sliced over his own crossbar by Leon Balogun. This bullish opening to proceedings by the Czech league leaders was not in the script for Rangers; they entered the fixture having not lost a home game since the visit of Bayer Leverkusen, immediately pre-lockdown last year.
Rangers were ragged in response. Ryan Kent drew a series of fouls but otherwise the hosts offered little by way of threat until Alfredo Morelos fired wide from 20 yards two minutes before the interval. Slavia, who displayed physicality to match tactical discipline, could be fully satisfied with their opening half’s work. Balogun’s desperate attempt to halt Abdallah Sima, who had earlier robbed him of possession, should have triggered a penalty as an engaging first period rumbled into stoppage time. Instead, Rangers had to be grateful for small mercies.
Slavia appeared content to be less adventurous after the break. Gerrard’s first attempt to breach their resistance saw Roofe introduced in place of Scott Arfield. Roofe’s impact at Ibrox has been hampered by recurring calf trouble but the substitution was an obvious move to add potency to the Rangers attack.
Unfortunately for Gerrard, Roofe harmed the Slavia goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar in an ill-chosen manner. When pursuing a long ball from Connor Goldson, the forward planted a boot high and into the face of Kolar. The outcomes were obvious; a red card for Roofe and a concerted spell of treatment for Kolar. The goalkeeper was unable to continue and was replaced by the 18-year-old Matyas Vagner. Rangers could have no complaints about the decision, with their task made all the more difficult by this moment of madness.
It was not to get any easier. Balogun, who had been unconvincing all evening, collected a second yellow card for a foul on the substitute Lukas Masopust. Balogun had stumbled on the ball to hand Masopust initiative in the first place. Stanciu strode forward to curl the resultant, sublime free-kick beyond the despairing McGregor from 25 yards. With 16 minutes plus stoppage time remaining, Rangers were facing elimination square in the face.
The eagerness with which Slavia sought to inflict further pain on Rangers was impressive in itself. There was to be no third goal; it was not needed anyway. Slavia were more than worth their progress.