Martin’s Changes Pay Off As Gassama Double Eases Rangers Past Viktoria Plzen

Russell Martin’s bold squad action paid disconnected arsenic Rangers battered Viktoria Plzen 3-0 successful nan first limb of their Champions League 3rd qualifying information necktie astatine Ibrox.

Martin hit retired astatine immoderate of his squad pursuing their deflating 1-1 tie astatine Motherwell connected Saturday, questioning mentality, egos and application, and nan skipper James Tavernier and nan midfielder Nicolas Raskin were nan biggest names among nan expected changes.

Martin sewage nan required guidance arsenic nan winger Djeidi Gassama scored aft 15 minutes earlier nan returning striker Cyriel Dessers added a 2nd from nan spot conscionable earlier nan interval.

Gassama, signed this summertime from Sheffield Wednesday, scored a 3rd successful nan 51st infinitesimal to put nan Govan broadside into a commanding lead and yet a comfortable win.

Rangers will beryllium dense favourites to advancement to a playoff necktie against Austrian broadside Red Bull Salzburg aliases Club Brugge of Belgium.

After pointing nan digit astatine his nether performers astatine nan weekend, each eyes were connected Martin’s squad action and he made important changes. Along pinch Tavernier and Raskin – arguably their champion subordinate past play – Danilo and Kieran Dowell were near out.

New signing Oliver Antman, nan Finland winger who joined from Go Ahead Eagles connected Monday, made his debut pinch left-back Jefté, midfielder Lyall Cameron and Dessers returning while John Souttar was named captain.

The Ibrox crowd was much subdued than accustomed connected a large European night, initially. In nan seventh infinitesimal Plzen’s lofty striker Rafiu Durosinmi headed a transverse from Amar Memic past nan station but it was Gassama who struck first, playing a one-two pinch Dessers astatine nan separator of nan visitors’ container earlier confidently curling nan shot past nan goalkeeper Florian Wiegele.

After nan Rangers defender Nasser Djiga brilliantly blocked a goal-bound changeable from nan visiting skipper Matej Vydra, Antman’s thrust from a Gassama cut-back astatine nan different extremity was cleared disconnected nan statement by Vaclav Jemelka.

Bizarrely Raskin, warming up connected nan sidelines, was booked by nan French referee Clément Turpin for apparently trying to interfere astatine a Plzen throw-in arsenic nan Czech broadside began to exert immoderate pressure. However, erstwhile a driving tally into nan container by Antman ended pinch him being barged complete by Vydra, Turpin pointed to nan spot for a soft punishment and Dessers sent Wiegele nan incorrect way.

Russell Martin congratulates Djeidi Gassama aft Rangers’ victory. Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA

Rangers started nan 2nd half powerfully and wrong 3 minutes nan midfielder Mohamed Diomande struck nan barroom pinch an effort from nan separator of nan box.

However, nan 3rd soon arrived arsenic Gassama grabbed his 2nd erstwhile he bulleted successful a header from a pinpoint Antman transverse from nan correct to people his 4th extremity successful nan past 3 European matches.

Raskin, Danilo, and Tavernier each came disconnected nan chair erstwhile nan occupation was done earlier nan location keeper Jack Butland made a bully prevention from a powerful thrust from Memic.

Malmö’s location lucifer against section rivals FC Copenhagen ended successful a goalless draw. The teams are separated by nan Øresund Bridge which is nan fastest way betwixt Sweden and Denmark.

Anderson Silva’s precocious extremity for Pafos fired them to a 1-0 triumph against Dynamo Kyiv. A first-half punishment from Toral Bayramov secured a 1-0 distant triumph for Qarabag at Macedonian nine Shkendija.