Souttar and Lovenkrands wowed by ‘fantastic’ new Rangers signing – ‘Massive’
Rangers had a night in Athens to remember as Russell Martin’s team progressed into the Champions League third round qualifiers.
It was a well-fought match against a Panathinaikos side that had numerous chances throughout the 90 minutes.
However, Rangers managed to draw on the night to secure a 3-1 victory on aggregate after a 2-0 win at Ibrox in the first leg last week.
Multiple players stepped up in Greece as they secured a priceless victory and are now just two ties away from the league stage.
Djeidi Gassama praised for crucial goal v Panathinaikos
Djeidi Gassama has proved himself to be an astute signing so far at Rangers.
The winger came off the bench to score in both games against Panathinaikos in which proved to be the difference for the tie.
However, his goal in Greece was extremely important, and it helped change the match on Wednesday.
- Rangers will now face Viktoria Plzen in the next round of the Champions League
- If the Gers win, they will qualify for the playoff round
- A defeat would see Rangers fall into the Europa League
Just seven minutes after Filip Duricic had pulled one back for Panathinaikos, Gassama came off the bench to make the tie 3-1.
In a difficult finish, the attacker managed to volley a loose ball into the bottom corner just inside the box in what was his first touch.
As a result, praise was heaped on Gassama after the match, with John Souttar hailing the “massive” goal on BBC Sportscene (30 July).
He said: “He comes off the bench to come up with a big goal, a massive goal.
“When they scored, I don’t know how tight it was, it felt tight at the time, but he comes off the bench and does what the gaffer wants, he wants reactions when you don’t start.
“He was probably unlucky not to start, but he has come up with a massive goal for us once again, and it is about building the momentum going into next week.”
| Djeidi Gassama vs Panathinaikos | |
| Minutes played | 34 |
| Shots | 1 |
| Touches | 11 |
| Passing completion | 50% |
| Goals | 1 |
Peter Lovenkrands was also quick to praise the attacker as he explained how difficult it is to pull off such a finish.
He added: “He gets substituted on as soon as Panathinaikos, and like I said earlier, the finish is absolutely fantastic.
“It is such a difficult finish when the ball bounces up like that and is coming towards you.
“He just controls and gets his body in line, uses his balance and wraps his foot around it.
“The angle he was running away as soon as he hit it, he knew it was going in, as sometimes you know as soon as you hit the ball.
“It was a fantastic finish and a key moment for me as it was just after the Panathinaikos goal.
“If he doesn’t score that, it could have been a different story.”
Gassama will be Rangers’ next big star
Early into his Rangers career, it is clear that Gassama is a big-game player.
The attacker has netted in two vital moments, which could be massive for the Gers’ short-term and long-term success.
Rangers were in dire need of this sort of player last season, with few stars stepping up when needed.
The best of it is, the Ibrox faithful are yet to see Gassama across 90 minutes, with his impacts coming solely from the bench in their first competitive matches.
Hopefully, the winger keeps these displays up, especially for the upcoming Old Firm derby next month.
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