Rangers see off wasteful Panathinaikos to progress in Champions League

North Wales Chronicle

6 days ago

Leading 2-0 from the first leg at Ibrox, only another fine performance in the Olympic stadium from Gers keeper Jack Butland, who thwarted the Greek side in Govan, kept the tie goalless at the break.
Filip Djuricic opened the scoring with a header in the 53rd minute but moments after climbing off the bench, Gassama, who scored after coming off the bench on his debut last week, levelled at 1-1 with a stunning drive.
A remarkable start to the 21-year-old's Rangers career took the heat out the home side's fightback, although Russell Martin should not be fooled, his side rode their luck for the second time against Panathinaikos, who will rue a series of missed opportunities over the two games.
In what was Martin's first away game as Rangers boss and only his second in Europe as a manager. He kept the same side which started last week at Ibrox.
Rui Vitoria's side were without suspended right-back Georgios Vagiannidis, sent off in Glasgow for picking up two yellow cards, and his place was taken by Giannis Kotsiras.
The home side bossed and battered Rangers in the first half, starting in the fifth minute when midfielder Anastasios Bakasetas drove just wide from the edge of the box following another corner.
In the 14th minute, Gers' dithering defender Max Aarons was robbed by former Manchester United man Facundo Pellistri, which left the attacker one-on-one with Butland and the Gers keeper brilliantly blocked the shot.
Butland then made another terrific save from a close-range header by captain Fotis Ioannidis, who had beaten defender John Souttar to a great cross from Pellistri.
Panathinaikos defender Erik Palmer-Brown headed a Bakasetas free-kick over the bar from six yards before the unmarked Pellistri missed a sitter in the 28th minute, blasting high over from 12 yards after Gers skipper James Tavernier had conceded possession inside the box.
Rangers' two real efforts came in rare attacks, attacker Findlay Curtis missing the target and midfielder Nico Raskin heading over, both from corners.
Waves of Panathinaikos pressure continued after the break but when Duricic wrong-footed Butland with a header from a Bakasetas cross, the flag went up for offside.
However, after a long VAR check, Italian referee Simone Sozza awarded the goal but more drama quickly ensued.
Moments later, Gassama, the former Sheffield Wednesday forward who replaced Curtis after the goal, fired in off the post from 14 yards in a rare Rangers attack to restore the Light Blues' two-goal lead.
Gers substitute Cyriel Dessers missed a great chance in added time when he failed to beat keeper Bartlomiej Dragowski following a counter-attack but it mattered not.
Rangers moved into the next qualifying round and guaranteed themselves European league phase football of some sort this season.