Rangers player ratings v Panathinaikos – Curtis spectacular, 3/10 stinks on debut
Rangers beat Panathinaikos 2-0 in the Champions League qualifier at Ibrox on Tuesday.
Russell Martin’s team hosted the Greek outfit on 22 July in the first leg of the second qualifying round, with Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe in attendance in G51.
The Greens were dominant in the first half, creating several opportunities, but Georgios Vagiannidis’ dive at Ibrox became somewhat of a focal point.
With the Light Blues dominating possession for most of the proceedings, it was only a matter of time before they got their bearings, and Findlay Curtis gave the home side the lead before Djeidi Gassama scored the second.
Martin should be hailed for Curtis decision after Rangers goal with Panathinaikos
Martin has trusted Curtis during pre-season fixtures against Club Brugge and Barnsley, but fans would still have been surprised to see him start against Panathinaikos.
The 18-year-old proved against the Greek outfit that he’s ready to step up and an influential figure in the first-team setup this season.
| Appearances | Assists | Minutes played |
| 5 | 1 | 137 |
It wouldn’t have been surprising to see the Scottish youngster leave Ibrox on loan this summer after struggling for minutes in the previous campaign, but it looks like the former Southampton manager firmly has the young winger in his plans.
Curtis showed a lot of confidence with his driving runs against the side from Athens, and his spectacular strike firmly made him the man of the match before being replaced by Gassama in the 75th minute.
Max Aarons flops on debut at Ibrox v Panathinaikos
Max Aarons made his full debut against Panathinaikos, along with Nasser Djiga and Joe Rothwell.
While the centre-back and midfielder had decent outings, the Bournemouth loanee looked a bit lost playing at left-back.
The 25-year-old defender played as an inverted full-back and was often seen in the middle of the park, but lost the ball on a number of occasions, leading to counters from the Greek outfit.
Martin may need to tweak his system a bit on the left side of defence, but overall, the Ibrox faithful will be excited with what they’ve seen.
Rangers player ratings v Panathinaikos
Jack Butland – 7
James Tavernier – 5
Nasser Djiga – 5
JohnSouttar – 6
Max Aarons – 3
Joe Rothwell – 6
Nico Raskin – 7
Mohamed Diomande – 6
Kieran Dowell – 4
Findlay Curtis – 9
Danilo – 5
Substitutes:
Cyriel Dessers – 5
Hamza Igamane – 5
Djeidi Gassama – 8
Nedim Bajrami – N/A
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