August 10, (THEWILL) – Scottish giants, Rangers, took a slim advantage after the first leg of their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie, defeating Swiss side Servette 2-1 at Ibrox on Wednesday night.
Goals from James Tavernier and Cyriel Dessers gave the Gers a 2-0 lead before Servette pulled one back through a Chris Bedia penalty on the stroke of halftime. It was a positive result for Rangers after a disappointing start to their domestic season over the weekend. The famous Glasgow club suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Kilmarnock in their Scottish Premiership opener last Saturday, as THEWILL reported.
Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst was looking for a response from his team in Europe, and the comeback win will provide a timely confidence boost. Rangers are attempting to make amends after an embarrassing UCL campaign last season. Drawn against Liverpool, Napoli and Ajax in the group stage, Rangers suffered six straight defeats and conceded a whopping 22 goals. Van Bronckhorst will be desperate to avoid a repeat this time around.
While Rangers hold a slender lead after the first leg, the tie is delicately poised heading into the return fixture in Geneva next Tuesday. Servette impressed in spells at Ibrox and their away goal could prove crucial. Rangers must be disciplined and clinical in the second leg to avoid being out of European competition next season.
After their European heroics last season, Rangers have invested heavily over the summer to try and bridge the gap domestically to arch rivals Celtic. The Light Blues have splashed out on talent such as Dessers, Antonio Colak, Rabbi Matondo and Tom Lawrence. The Champions League qualifiers are providing the first real test of whether Rangers have improved enough to restore their domestic and continental credentials.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
