‘Rangers v Panathinaikos shows new side of Russell Martin tactics’ after doubts
Rangers took a giant step towards the next round of Champions League qualification on Tuesday with a 2-0 victory at home to Panathinaikos.
Goals from Findlay Curtis and Djeidi Gassama on 22 July gave the Gers a two-goal lead to take to the second leg in Greece in Russell Martin’s first competitive game as manager.
And the game showed a new side of Martin’s tactics after initial doubts over his plans.
Rangers victory shows a new side of Russell Martin’s tactics
Rangers dominated possession against the Greek side, particularly after they had Georgios Vagiannidis sent off for two bookable offences.
However, it was a style of play not necessarily associated with Martin that led to both Rangers goals.
During his time as Southampton boss, Martin was heavily criticised for being overly committed to a non-threatening possession-based style of football.
This was frequently slammed for not being penetrative enough and often described as “possession for possession’s sake”.
However, both of Rangers’ goals against the Greeks came from aggressive and direct counter-attacks.
The second goal, scored by Gassama, saw Rangers transition from defence to attack with particularly impressive speed.
This style of play shows an adaptability in Martin’s tactics that will excite fans and pundits alike, as the French winger cut inside and slammed home.
Martin is right not to get carried away with Rangers performance
If you only view the statistics, it may have looked like a comfortable victory for Rangers, but that was far from the case.
It was a tense first half, and Jack Butland made some vital saves to prevent Panathinaikos from taking the lead and turning Ibrox quiet.
Martin would have learned a lot about his side during this match, but after the game, he was keen to keep his feet on the ground and insisted that the tie is far from over.
And he’s right to say that.
| Rangers | Panathinaikos | |
| Goals | 2 | 0 |
| Attempts on goal | 16 | 14 |
| Possession | 76% | 24% |
An early goal from the Greeks in the second leg will put all the pressure on Martin’s side. They will have an intimidating home crowd roaring them on, and the conditions are likely to be difficult in Athens.
Martin’s possession-based style was known for giving up easy goals during his time at Southampton, and he’ll be keen to prevent that from happening at Rangers, particularly in these crucial Champions League qualifiers.
The second leg takes place on Wednesday, 30 July.
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