John Souttar blasted over ‘really poor’ incident in Rangers draw v Panathinaikos
Rangers got themselves over the line in their Champions League qualifying tie with a 1-1 draw with Panathinaikos on Wednesday.
Russell Martin’s side had to weather a storm in Athens, as their hosts piled on the pressure in a bid to cut the lead in the first half.
Djeidi Gassama once again produced a massive moment for Rangers, as he struck just six minutes after Filip Djuricic had given Panathinaikos the lead early into the second period.
The Gers will be delighted to have seen themselves through to the next round, but it was not a night that passed smoothly for them at all in the Greek capital.
Steven Thompson hits out at Souttar for error in penalty appeal
Rangers were almost dealt a major blow early in the second leg when John Souttar was at the centre of a penalty shout for the hosts.
The centre back jumped for an aerial challenge with Panathinaikos frontman Fotis Ioannidis, and the ball rolled down the back of the attacker before striking the arm of the Gers man from close range.
Italian referee Simone Sozza stood firm and was nonplussed by the hosts’ appeals for a spot-kick, but Martin and Co. will perhaps count themselves lucky to have got away with it in hindsight, given that Souttar also had a handful of the Greek’s shirt.
The situation came as a result of a poor defensive header from the defender in the initial challenge, and former Gers star Steven Thompson highlighted the 28-year-old’s error on BBC Sportscene (30 July).
“You have to say the initial header is really, really poor from Souttar,” Thompson said.
“It puts his team under massive pressure.”
Rangers need Souttar to be at his best this season
Rangers have been facing interest in Souttar over the last few weeks, but it will be imperative that they keep hold of him this term.
Nasser Djiga has struggled at times in the early stages of his stint at Ibrox, and he was caught on the ball in dangerous areas of his own third in both legs of the Panathinaikos tie.
Souttar is usually a calming presence at the heart of the defence, and his ability to handle the ball in difficult situations will make him crucial to Martin’s style of football.
He was perhaps lucky to get away with his minor error on Wednesday (30 July), but there can be no doubting his importance to Rangers as the domestic season rapidly approaches.
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