Rangers 1 Real Betis 0 – Light Blues kickstart Europa League campaign with Ibrox win as Sima goal turns jeers to cheers
MICHAEL BEALE needed a statement victory.
Abdallah Sima delivered it on a night when Rangers turned the jeers to cheers.
Life, they say, begins at 40.
How Beale – who reached that number of games in charge of Gers last night – must hope that rings true.
Hounded up the tunnel on his last visit home, the embattled Ibrox boss took a huge step on the road to redemption against Real Betis.
Away wins at Hearts and Hibs last season. Old Firm glory when only pride was at stake.
It’s been nowhere near good enough.
But backed into a corner, Beale has come out fighting – masterminding a first win for Rangers over Spanish opposition in 38 years.
You can only admire the courage he’s shown these past few weeks.
In their last Europa League campaign, Gers made it all the way to the final in Seville.
On the eve of their latest adventure, Beale claimed his side were “expected” to reach the knockout stages.
It was a bold statement given his early season woes.
Just days after being embarrassed in Eindhoven – their Champions League dream ripped apart by PSV – his Rangers side fell four points behind Celtic in the title race.
Factor in an opening day league defeat at Kilmarnock and Beale is a man with very little credit in the bank.
He certainly doesn’t have his troubles to seek.
Danilo, Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin have all been ruled out until after the international break.
Had they been fit, all three would surely have started this crucial Group C opener.
As a result, Beale made four changes to his starting lineup, with Jose Cifuentes, Rabbi Matondo, Sima and Borna Barisic all in from the start.
Betis left it late before declaring back-up keeper Claudio Bravo fit to face Gers.
No.1 Rui Silva limped out of the 5-0 hammering against Barcelona at the weekend, with boss Pellegrini fearing he may have to field third choice Fran Vieites.
With just five minutes gone, Pellegrini had 40-year-old Bravo to thank.
Kemar Roofe split the Betis defence with a superb pass.
Rabbi Matondo’s pace took him clear, but he couldn’t find the finish with Bravo getting down well to make the save.
It was a massive chance – the only real one to speak of for Rangers in a first half largely dominated by the visitors.
After that early scare, Betis took control of the ball with Isco at the centre of just about everything.
As his influence on the game grew, so did the Spanish chances.
With 20 minutes played Borja Iglesias slip a clever ball in behind the Rangers defence.
Abdessamad Ezzalzouli showed James Tavernier a clean pair of heels, but his effort was well saved by Jack Butland.
Matondo then inexplicably gave the ball away with Héctor Bellerín latching onto an Iglesias pass.
He cut back inside Barisic, picking out Isco with the cross.
You would have backed the former Real Madrid star to at least hit the target, instead he scooped high over the bar.
On the half hour, Marc Roca picked out Ezzalzouli with another ridiculous pass.
The winger had a clear sight of Butland’s goal, but he too sent a shot sailing high and wide.
Four minutes later, the same player once again went close. Cifutenes was robbed of possession in the middle of the park with Betis moving through the gears quickly.
But once more Ezzalzouli couldn’t hit the target and Gers survived another scare.
Beale’s men simply couldn’t keep a hold of the ball.
Barisic, Tavernier, Matondo, Cifutenes and Lundstram were all guilty of giving it away.
They did rally towards the end of the half, but other than the save from Matondo, Bravo had had little to do.
Rangers needed to show more composure in the second half.
They needed possession of the football.
Betis hadn’t really been stretched defensively, yet you felt centre half Guido Rodríguez was there to be got at.
And that’s exactly what Rangers did. On the front foot, they went on the attack.
Sima got the ball rolling, doing well to pick out Matondo in a crowded Betis box.
Matondo got his shot away, but Bellerin did just enough to put him off.
Moments later Lawrence burst forward, blasting inches past the post from 25 yards out.
It was better from Rangers. Much more like it.
Ibrox too was beginning to warm to the occasion.
Thursday night’s under the lights are always a bit special in this part of the world.
Up until now, the home crowd had very little to cheer.
With 55 minutes on the clock, Barisic almost raised the roof.
Marc Barta clattered into Roofe right on the edge of the box.
Barisic took the free-kick, with Bravo having to tip his curling effort onto the bar.
It was the closest either side had come to the opening goal.
A quite sensational run from Matondo then carried Rangers up the length of the park and from the resultant corner Beale’s men snatched the lead.
It was messy, it was a scramble, but not a single Gers fan inside Ibrox cared.
Tavernier swung over the corner with sub Sam Lammers heading back across goal.
Roofe’s initial point blank effort was superbly saved by Bravo, but Connor Goldson was there to keep the ball alive.
As it bobbled around the six yard box, both Ben Davies and Sima went for it – the latter just getting there first.
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