James Tavernier heads Rangers through to Champions League play-offs

By Sports Desk August 15, 2023

James Tavernier’s equaliser sent Rangers into the Champions League play-offs as an improved second-half display in Switzerland saw them overcome Servette.

Tavernier’s header five minutes after the break sealed a 1-1 draw which handed Michael Beale’s side a 3-2 aggregate win.

Rangers had failed to test the home goalkeeper in the first half and might have been further behind at the interval but they were the better side after the break and had chances to win the second leg.

The result sets Rangers up for a repeat of last year’s play-off against PSV Eindhoven as the cinch Premiership runners-up bid for a second consecutive campaign in the group stages.

Beale brought Connor Goldson and Ryan Jack back into the team after resting the pair for Saturday’s league win over Livingston and the Gers manager changed his formation from the team’s usual 4-3-3 to a midfield diamond spearheaded by Todd Cantwell. Danilo and Abdallah Sima started up front.

Beale had stated they had come to Geneva to win the game and Rangers attacked in the early stages but Jose Cifuentes scuffed a left-footed effort from their first shooting chance.

The visitors were soon cut open by a slick move but Jack Butland made a brilliant stop at full stretch to deny Timothe Cognat.

The home side took the lead midway through the half. John Souttar came out second best from a challenge following a long ball and both Cifuentes and Tavernier were slow to react to the danger following a blocked shot. Dereck Kutesa had time and space to execute a glorious finish into the far top corner.

The unmarked Danilo had a brilliant chance to level on the half-hour mark but the Brazilian missed the target from inside the six-yard box following Cifuentes’ deep cross.

Servette could have gone ahead in the tie when Souttar was caught trying to play offside as Kutesa ran on to a through-ball from just inside his own half. The goalscorer forced a good stop from Butland from a tight angle but he had a team-mate completely unmarked in the middle.

Rangers maintained their formation at the start of the second half but they showed more urgency and both Nicolas Raskin and Cantwell had efforts saved before Tavernier got in front of his marker and headed home from close range after Borna Barisic whipped in a dangerous cross.

Rangers looked comfortable and Raskin was wide from a half-chance before substitute Cyriel Dessers missed two good opportunities. The Nigeria international headed over and then hit the post from eight yards after being set up by Cantwell.

Servette managed to exert some late pressure but Rangers stood firm and the hosts missed two decent chances in quick succession in stoppage time.

Beale’s side now host PSV at Ibrox in the first leg of the play-offs next Tuesday.

Related items

  • Late Martin Boyle brace fires Hibs into cup semi-finals after beating St Mirren Late Martin Boyle brace fires Hibs into cup semi-finals after beating St Mirren

    Martin Boyle’s late double settled a thriller against St Mirren and sent Hibs into the Viaplay Cup semi-finals following a 4-2 victory.

    The visitors had gone in at half-time ahead thanks to Scott Tanser’s fine effort.

    Goals from Elie Youan and Dylan Vente then gave Hibs the advantage, only for Keanu Baccus to level things at 2-2.

    With 10 minutes left to play, Boyle smashed home what proved to be the winner before adding a late fourth to extend Nick Montgomery’s undefeated start as Hibs manager.

    Montgomery made two changes to the side that defeated St Johnstone at the weekend as in came Christian Doidge and Youan, with Adam Le Fondre and Jair Tavares dropping out.

    St Mirren also made two alterations after their win over Hearts. There were places for Caolan Boyd-Munce and Mikael Mandron, who replaced Baccus and Connor McMenamin.

    It was the visitors who had the first chance but Greg Kiltie’s goalbound header lacked the power to trouble David Marshall.

    Former Hibs midfielder Alex Gogic then had a stab goalwards from Boyd-Munce’s deep free-kick that was also saved.

    Saints were on top at this point and Ryan Strain’s searching ball picked out Toyosi Olusanya but his lobbed effort over Marshall drifted off target.

    Boyle then came within inches of getting onto the end of Joe Newell’s enticing ball from the Hibs right flank.

    St Mirren moved in front two minutes before half-time when Strain’s back-post cross was headed backwards by Mandron and Tanser thrashed in a half-volley from the edge of the box.

    Hibs had a good chance from a similar position early in the second half but this time Rocky Bushiri dragged his effort well wide.

    The home side, though, did draw level after 52 minutes when Boyle’s corner was nodded towards goal by Will Fish for Youan to touch in from close range.

    Two minutes later, Hibs were in front. Lewis Miller’s cross picked out Vente in space and the striker was able to turn before firing his shot beyond Zach Hemming.

    Saints nearly fell further behind when Boyle was allowed to dribble in on goal before forcing Hemming into a smart stop.

    But they worked their way level after 76 minutes. Mark O’Hara picked out Baccus and the Australia international was allowed to run in on goal before finishing well in the far corner.

    Hibs, though, went back in front four minutes later. Gogic stretched to try to cut out a cross but could only divert it to Boyle, who scored via the underside of the bar.

    The forward missed a sitter to extend Hibs’ lead but made no mistake in time added on to seal the win.

  • Alexander Isak grabs winner as Newcastle beat Manchester City in Carabao Cup Alexander Isak grabs winner as Newcastle beat Manchester City in Carabao Cup

    Alexander Isak fired Newcastle into the Carabao Cup fourth round at the expense of Manchester City.

    The Sweden international struck eight minutes after the break to seal a 1-0 victory for the Magpies – their first over City in any competition in 11 attempts – in front of a crowd of 51,692 at St James Park.

    Their place in the draw was reward for a dogged display by a team featuring 10 changes to the one which started Sunday’s 8-0 Premier League victory Sheffield United, but one which was particularly hard-earned after they were given the run-around before the break by Pep Guardiola’s under-studies.

    Guardiola made eight changes, three of them to include Mateo Kovacic, Kalvin Phillips and Jack Grealish, and – while having indicated in advance that the competition was the least of his priorities – saw his side dominate for long periods but ultimately fail to turn the pressure they exerted into goals.

    With Phillips and Kovacic controlling the midfield battle, the Magpies were absent as an attacking force for much of the first half.

    By contrast the link between Rico Lewis, Oscar Bobb – making his first senior start – and Sergio Gomez down the City right proved profitable repeatedly.

    Goalkeeper Nick Pope was called upon for the first time with 18 minutes gone when Bobb turned smartly on Phillips’ ball to feet and raced towards goal before feeding Julian Alvarez, whose low shot was blocked by the keeper’s boot.

    Paul Dummett had to make a perfectly-timed challenge to deny Grealish a clear run at goal and Sandro Tonali threw himself into the path of Kovacic’s goal-bound strike with Newcastle’s inability to retain the ball causing them all kinds of problems.

    Alvarez blazed a 28th-minute shot across goal after running on to Bobb’s clever flick from Kovacic’s square ball as the home side chased shadows, although they might have changed the narrative of the first half four minutes before the break.

    Joelinton’s interception on halfway allowed Isak to feed Jacob Murphy, who surged forward before firing across keeper Stefan Ortega, who blocked with a leg.

    Eddie Howe made a double change before the restart, replacing Lewis Hall and 17-year-old midfielder Lewis Miley, who was also starting for the first time, with Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon and the Magpies instantly had a better balance.

    Tonali saw a 48th-minute shot blocked after he, Murphy and Tino Livramento had combined down the right and Newcastle were ahead five minutes later.

    Murphy cut inside and found Joelinton, who powered his way into the penalty area before smashing the ball across goal from a tight angle to find the unmarked Isak, who finished with ease at the far post.

    In an instant, the atmosphere inside St James’ Park changed with the visitors finding themselves under sustained pressure for the first time.

    Grealish curled a 75th-minute shot into Pope’s arms as City responded, but their efforts were tepid and Guardiola was booked by referee Chris Kavanagh as he vented his frustration on the sideline.

    His mood did not improve as City’s weak efforts to redeem themselves came to nothing despite Phil Foden’s introduction.

  • Blackburn put five past Cardiff to reach Carabao Cup fourth round Blackburn put five past Cardiff to reach Carabao Cup fourth round

    Andrew Moran scored two and set up two as Blackburn overpowered Cardiff 5-2 in the Carabao Cup third round.

    Jake Garrett’s composed finish set Rovers on their way in the 13th minute before Callum Robinson marked his first start of the season with a thunderous equaliser.

    The 19-year-old Brighton loanee Moran’s first assist came in the 36th minute when his cutback was turned home by Arnor Sigurdsson on his home debut, but the much-changed Bluebirds hit back again through Kion Etete’s brilliant, improvised equaliser in first-half stoppage time.

    A second-half Rovers blitz put the game beyond doubt. Moran profited from woeful defending to score his first goal in English football just after the break, before inducing a foul that led to a Sigurdsson spot kick that was well saved.

    He doubled his tally and Blackburn’s lead in the 54th minute with a spectacular long-range effort, before feeding Dilan Markanday to register a fifth 15 minutes later.

    Rovers have made the fourth round for the second consecutive campaign, having netted 17 times in their three outings in the competition so far this season.

    Home debutant Leopold Wahlstedt made a sharp low save early on to deny Etete, but Blackburn clinically hit the front when James Hill’s long pass found Garrett who controlled brilliantly and slotted underneath Runar Alex Runarsson.

    Cardiff equalised in the 18th minute when Robinson found space 25 yards out to rifle an unstoppable drive into the bottom left corner.

    Harry Pickering flashed an effort just wide of the post soon after and Rovers reasserted control in the 36th minute when a slick counter attack saw Moran cut back perfectly for Sigurdsson to slam home from six yards.

    Etete superbly equalised in first-half stoppage time, controlling a pass on the left and holding off two defenders before turning and producing a screamer that flew into the bottom right corner.

    But they were put to the sword early in the second half. Runarsson made a sprawling save to deny Markanday but could do nothing in the 49th minute when Moran intercepted a Jonathan Panzo pass and slotted past the goalkeeper.

    Moran then tricked his way into the box and was brought down by Ebou Adams but Sigurdsson’s low penalty was well saved by his Icelandic teammate Runarsson who parried behind.

    The beleaguered keeper was helpless from the resulting corner though as Moran curled a sumptuous 25-yard drive beyond him in the 54th minute.

    Adams denied Semir Telalovic a certain fifth soon after, while Bluebirds debutant James Crole curled on to the roof of the net.

    But relentless Rovers hit their fifth in the 69th minute when Moran’s perfectly weighted pass found Markanday on the right who stroked home into the far corner via a post.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.