Friday, March 29, 2024

´We are lucky it is only 2-0´, says Rangers manager Van Bronckhorst after first-leg defeat in Belgiu

SoccerNews in UEFA Champions League 2 Aug 2022

127 Views

Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst said his players were “lucky it is only 2-0” after they were beaten by Union Saint-Gilloise in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie.

Last season’s Europa League runners-up started the game in Belgium brightly, but the hosts grew into their first ever Champions League game, and a first half finish from captain Teddy Teuma was added to by a controversial Dante Vanzeir penalty in the 76th minute to give them a two goal advantage.

Van Bronckhorst was far from happy with the Scottish side’s performance and result, one which has left Rangers staring down the barrel ahead of the second leg at Ibrox next week.

The former Netherlands international told Premier Sports: “The performance today was below-par.

“They just dropped deep, so that means they were afraid. But eventually, we didn’t do anything with our ball possession and were sloppy. 

“Slowly, they became better and better, and we didn’t react well after that. We were never really in the game.”

The Gers now face an uphill task if they are to reach the Champions League group stage for the first time since the 2010-11 season, with the winner of this tie going into a play-off against PSV or Monaco.

Not all hope is lost though, with Van Bronckhorst’s side having pulled off a number of memorable second-leg comebacks at Ibrox in last season’s run to the Europa League final.

And the 47-year-old is confident his side can produce yet another dramatic turnaround back on home turf in Glasgow.

He added: “We are still in the tie, 2-0 difference, we are capable of making that up at Ibrox on Tuesday.

“But first of all, we need to concentrate on our performance. If we have the same performance like we did today, then we have no chance.

“I’m confident that if we change those things around, we have to have a much better performance next week.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SoccerNews

Soccernews.com is news blog for soccer with comprehensive coverage of all the major leagues in Europe, as well as MLS in the United States. In addition we offer breaking news for transfers and transfer rumors, ticket sales, betting tips and offers, match previews, and in-depth editorials.

You can follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/soccernews.com or Twitter: @soccernewsfeed.

SHARE OR COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE

WE RECOMMEND

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This field is required *

Join the conversation!

or Register

Live Scores

advertisement

Betting Guide Advertisement

advertisement

Become a Writer
More More
Top