Glasgow Rangers will return to a European semi-final fourteen years laterin this case to those of the Europa Football League, thanks to a Captain James Tavernier brace and somewhat of a savior Kemar Roofewho knocked down a brave Sporting de Braga, who forced extra time despite playing 45 minutes with one less (3-1).
GLA
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Glasgow Rangers
McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barisic (Balogun, M. 90+1); Jack (Kamara, M. 80), Lundstram, Ramsey (Wright, M. 80); Aribo (Sakala, M. 107), Kent and Roofe (Arfield, M. 106).
panties
Matheus; Silva, Pizzuto, Tormena, Carmo (Fale, M. 120); Horta (Moura, M. 46), Castro (Gorby, M. 106), Al Musrati (Mineiro, M. 100); Ruiz (Oliveira, M. 61), Horta and Gomes (Medeiros, M. 61).
goals
1-0 M. 2Tavernier. 2-0 M. 44Tavernier. 2-1 M. 83 Carmo. 3-1 M. 102 Roofe.
Referee
François Letexier (France). TA: Roofe (85′) / A. Horta (98′) and R. Horta (101′). TR: Tormena (42′) and Medeiros (105′).
Tavernier turned the tie around in one part, but Braga overcame Tormena’s expulsion, withstood the hurdles and tied the match in the closing stages, only to give up in extra time in which Kemar Roofe, who had two annulled goals by VAR, he got his coveted prize and sent Rangers to their first semi-final since 2008.
A goal at 70 seconds from the right side of Rangers, along with a penalty and expulsion of Tormena converted by Tavernier in the last moments of the first half, knocked out a Braga that was unable to function for most of the game under pressure from Ibrox, one of the best scenarios for a European night.
Only with the punch of their fans, those of Giovanni van Bronckhorst They levitated out of the locker room and took a little over a minute to get ahead. A cross from Borna Barisic, the left back, tried to puncture Joe Aribo in the heart of the area, but the ball went away, with such good luck that it fell to Tavernier at the far post. The captain threw himself to the ground and almost without an angle made it 1-0.
Ibrox exploded and Rangers experienced some hammering moments in which they made it 2-0, this time with a header from Roofe inside the box. However, the VAR reviewed the play and annulled it for a handball at the beginning of Barisic’s play, very similar to the one that Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso was called against Real Madrid.
The Rangers, infinitely superior to its rival, flirted with the goal on countless occasions, but it was not until a ball behind the defense, in the twilight of the first half, when the blow came for Carlos Carvalhal’s men. Storm, on the run, knocked Roofe down. The referee saw it, whistled a penalty and expelled the center-back. Tavernier took responsibility and with a shot to the center made it 2-0.
Rangers had to close the junction earlier and had a shot at the crossbar and two other goals disallowed, one against Roofe for offside and the other against Aaron Ramsey for a foul on the goalkeeper. They forgave and paid for it. In a set piece, David Carmo headed the 2-1 and sent the game to extra time.
Tension and fear grew in Glasgow, until Roofe, in the 101st minute, scored a low cross from Aribo at will, to the delirium of the locals. If the 3-1 was not enough, Iuri Medeiros, who had entered in the second half, was sent off with a double yellow in one minute, after a mistimed entry and a meaningless protest to the referee.
Rangers, who not so long ago were in the Third Division of Scottish football, will play their first European semi-final since the 2007/2008 season, when they lost the UEFA Cup final – a competition now renamed the Europa League – against Zenit Saint Petersburg (2-0, in Manchester).