LIVEBLOG: Rangers 2-0 Zeta FINAL

By: Ian Rose | July 31st, 2007

The time has come for Scotland’s assault on the Champions League to begin. Last season, Celtic reached the round of 16 in the CL for the first time ever (since it’s been called the Champions League, that is - they won the European Cup in 1967), and two years ago, Rangers did the same. Which will go farther in the race for this year’s top European prize?

We get our first answers tonight at Ibrox, where Rangers host Montenegrin champions FK Zeta in the first leg of their Champions League second qualifying round tie. I will be here live-blogging the match direct from Scotland, and bringing you all the updates on the action.

Game is 2-0 to Rangers after full time (Weir 55′, McCulloch 73′). Red card to Lee Hutton (Rangers).

93′ - Rangers win 2-0 and go to Montenegro with a two-goal lead and most importantly, without allowing an away goal. Both goals were a bit odd, and the second was perhaps not a goal, but they counted. Zeta’s keeper was just too wary of a collision with Darcheville, which cost the goal from Weir. Still, altogether, a great effort from a very young Zeta.

90′ - Nacho Novo taken down. Free kick awarded to Rangers, who get another shot on target, but no dice. Three minutes of extra time.

83′ - Cuellar with spot-on defending. He’s been a bit aggressive for carrying a yellow card, but he’s solid, no doubt of that. Sebo on for Darcheville. The Frenchman lived up to his reputation as a fiery one, but his toughness will play well in the SPL.

80′ - Ten minutes from the death and Rangers have to be pleased with 2-0. From the way things were looking at the half, and after Hutton’s red card, its a great place to be. Neither goal was a highlight reel, but they count and that’s all that matters.

75′ - Cuellar takes a yellow card for a bad challenge. Rangers are going to have yellow card problems early in this Champions League.

73′ - Odd-looking goal from Rangers with only 9 men on the pitch. Lee McCulloch gets the goal in his competitive Rangers debut just after Kirk Broadfoot is taken off the pitch with a kick to the face. Broadfoot is fine and Rangers are thrilled with the second goal.

70′ - High shot from Zeta. Their passing and movement continue to impress. Lee McCulloch takes an ambitious shot for Rangers, but kicks it straight to the keeper.

62′ - Nacho Novo yellow-carded. Rangers have got to settle down and keep this lead.

59′ - Alan Hutton RED-CARDED for moving early from the free-kick wall. Rangers are down to ten men. That’s not a double-booking in the SPL, but that’s Europe - things are different. Disaster just after glory for Rangers. At least they clear the ball.

58′ - Alan Hutton gets the yellow he deserved in the first half, conceding a free kick right on the edge of the box.

55′ - GOOOOOAAAAALLLL Rangers. Rangers finally put it in. It looks like David Weir’s goal, even though Darcheville celebrates it as his own. A keeping mistake for Zeta, but one of these would have eventually gone in. Good on Zeta for keeping it even this long.

53′ - YELLOW CARD Buscovich for a foul on Lee McCulloch - Zeta’s first. Alan McGregor makes a very nice save on a Zeta free kick.

51′ - Darcheville is looking desperate and greedy - he always wants the shot and doesn’t seem to see his options. He’s taking long shots and poor ones.

48′ - Darcheville falls down on the wet pitch, ignoring a waiting Nacho Novo. Darcheville will need to pass a bit more. A huge miss from Kris Boyd - there was no offside, so just a terrible miss from Boyd. He needs to finish that ball.

Start, second half - Rangers sub Nacho Novo in for Charlie Adam. Will he be able to repeat his achievements against Chelsea? Charlie Adam was pretty weak, so I’m glad to see him off. It’s early, and he’ll be fine, but it wasn’t his night.

HALFTIME - Rangers must be disappointed with a scoreless draw at the half, and Zeta have got to be thrilled. They might have been down one after just nine seconds, and they make it out of the half unscathed. Their passing was great, their defense very tight. Zeta are gaining confidence, and their youth will serve them in the second half. Lee McCulloch was unlucky to get an early card, but its evened out by the fact that Hutton probably deserved one.

45′ - There will be one minute of injury time. Kris Boyd called offside in the penalty box.

42′ - Zeta was offside, but very nearly scored. They are looking really good, and Rangers just don’t seem to have their best to offer just yet. Every scoreless minute that goes by gives the Montenegrin champions more confidence - if they believe they can win this match, Rangers could be in for a long night.

40′ - Lee McCulloch also having a problem keeping the ball down as he tries to take advantage of a free kick. Rangers seem just a bit rusty this match, but that’s understandable in what is still technically their preseason.

37′ - Dive from Zeta to concede a great free kick opportunity to Zeta, just outside the penalty area. Cuellar didn’t deserve that foul. Zeta kick it just barely outside the post. Tense time for Rangers.

32′ - Zeta is playing very defensively, with a surprisingly hot counterattack. Rangers take their third corner, but there’s no one on the near post to handle Lee McCulloch’s header deflection.

30′ - Dangerous free kick opportunity for Rangers - overhit by Charlie Adam … this is getting a bit repetitive.

27′ - YELLOW CARD Lee McCulloch - Professional foul on a foul from behind - not much question on this one - dangerous free kick spot for Zeta. Pressure from Zeta, but a really badly played corner gives Rangers the goal kick.

23′ - Cuellar handles a great run from Zeta, and Rangers take it back safely. Charlie Adam loses another ball - I’m not impressed so far with his touch. He wants the shot, no doubt of that, but he needs to keep it down.

22′ - Rangers have made several shots in the past few minutes, but the Zeta keeper has handled them well.

20′ - David Weir falls and draws a foul. Free kick comes to nothing, AGAIN.

19′ - Charlie Adam’s head almost puts it in. That height difference is really going to hurt Zeta on the headers.

18′ - A long ambitious shot from Zeta. Again, their passing is impressive, though they’re staying largely on their own half.

15′ - First corner of the match taken by Rangers. Charlie Adam puts a long shot over the crossbar, an opportunity wasted. Rangers should have a marked advantage on the set pieces, at least in terms of height - they need to take advantage of them.

13′ - Weak shot from Darcheville. The Zeta keeper drops on it safely.

11′ - Cuellar clears after a nice little attack from Zeta. I have to give them credit for their passing - they’re a well-disciplined side for their age.

9′ - First real challenge from Lee McCulloch in a Rangers kit. He looks to be pulling no punches, regardless of the age or inexperience of the opponent. He for one will not be complacent tonight - he’ll look for deep advancement in his first season with the side.

6′ - Darcheville shoots wide. That’s three Rangers shots in 6 minutes. A good ball in from Hutton wasted.

4′ - Darcheville gets a little upset about a free kick awarded to Zeta - let’s hope he can keep his famous temper down.

3′ - Kris Boyd with another close miss on a deflection from Charlie Adam. Rangers look very quick and very willing immediately from the gun.

Gametime 0′ - Kris Boyd almost scores in 9 seconds, which would have been the fastest in Rangers history. He hits the post. Wow.

20:03 - Rangers are starting a 4-4-2, with Kris Boyd and Darcheville at the forwards. Nacho Novo will be subbed in at some point, I’m sure. It’s the same starting XI as the one that beat Chelsea 2-0.

19:55 - Rangers are being called onto the pitch. Barry Ferguson gets a thundering applause especially. There are about 40,000 in the house tonight - a lot of Rangers fans seem to think of this as a walkover.

19:54 - About ten minutes to kickoff, and I’m here starting the live blog. We’ve had some light rain on and off in Glasgow today, but it looks good for a game at Ibrox right now - cloudy but basically dry.