RANGERS TREAD ON THIN ICE IN MOSCOW
Attendance 20,000
The loss is the first ever suffered by Rangers
against a Russian side in a competitive fixture, but
obviously the bottom line will be qualification. One
has to say that on tonight's evidence grave doubts
must remain.
There were perhaps 300 Rangers' fans amongst the
20,000 crowd - with one less than welcoming banner
amongst the home fans reading "Scottish Wankers Piss
Off."
CSKA made a sensational start, opening the scoring
in just three minutes when Ivica Olic outpaced Maurice
Ross on the left, his cross being deflected onto the
head of Vagner Love who left Stefan Klos helpless.
Rangers were up against it - their opponents were full
of pace in almost every position, and five minutes
later Jiri Jariosik's thundering 25-yard free-kick
looked netbound with the aid of a deflection until
Stefan Klos beat the drive away.
A second goal appeared inevitable - with Vagner Love a
constant threat. On the quarter-hour mark he burst
clear of Jean-Alain Boumsong only to see Klos block
his effort.
Rangers gradually found their feet, and in 36 minutes,
against the run of play, snatched a priceless away
goal when Dado Prso, playing wide left in midfield,
dispossessed Vasily Berezutsky, advancing on goal
before squaring for Nacho Novo whose shot was blocked,
as was Prso's effort from the rebound, before Novo at
last buried the loose ball.
Rangers finished the first-half in good heart, yet
unbelievably conceded a shocking goal 45 seconds after
the restart when Yury Zhirkov's throw-in found Jiri
Jarosik who moved effortlessly past the statuesque
Ross and Lovenkrands before blasting home from a
narrow angle.
The Russians now took control of the game once again,
and played to the Ibrox men's blatant weaknesses at
full-back. In particular Ross was found wanting time
and time again - Vagner Love skinning him on the hour
from a Semak pass before shooting wide, then two
minutes later Zhirkov ghosted past the Dundonian with
consummate ease only to see his cross headed over by
Semak.
A third goal would have made all the difference, and
Rolan Gusev (scorer twice for Dinamo Moscow against
Rangers in 2001) tested Klos from a twenty-yard
free=kick that was turned wide.
Five Rangers' players were yellow-carded in the
second-half, and there were loud protests from the
Russians when Alex Rae went for the ball as an
opponent smothered it on the ground, but the referee
awarded a free-kick to Rangers.
The final result leaves the tie wide open.