Jack Butland deserves huge credit after ‘damning’ Rangers stat in Plzen loss
Rangers have to get back to the drawing board after losing to Viktoria Plzen in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
Russell Martin’s team travelled to the Doosan Arena on 12 August for the second leg of the third qualifying round and were arguably lucky to come away with just a 2-1 defeat.
Jefte blundered his lines as Rafiu Durosinmi scored the Czech outfit’s first goal. Svetozar Markovic then put the hosts ahead again towards the end of the second half after Lyall Cameron had equalised on the hour mark.
Jack Butland came in clutch for the Glaswegian outfit as things could have potentially been worse.
Rangers concede eight big chances v Plzen
Butland deserves credit as the Gers faced 27 shots from Plzen at the Doosan Arena, Jonny McFarlane says.
The Scottish journalist was baffled by the “damning” statistic of the Czech outfit having eight big chances against the Gers.
McFarlane feels the Light Blues’ English goalkeeper stood out, having been criticised for his performances at Ibrox towards the end of last season.
Speaking on The Rangers Review on 13 August, the journalist said: “27 shots Plzen, nine from Rangers. This is the truly damning stat: eight big chances. Most games you’ll see two, three or maybe four. Eight, that’s one of the first times I’ve seen that. And that underlines what sort of a game Butland had, and you’ve got to give him credit.”
Read More: Rangers secure multi-million prize despite defeat vs Plzen
What can Martin change at Ibrox after Plzen loss?
Martin needs a new striker at Ibrox after Cyriel Dessers picked up what looked like a serious injury at the Doosan Arena.
The Nigeria international started up front against Plzen as the Gers went into the tie with a three-goal advantage, but he was replaced in the 54th minute by Danilo.
Hamza Igamane has been linked with LOSC Lille for most of the ongoing transfer window, and it remains to be seen what happens with him before the end of August.
Rangers also seem to have an issue at left-back, with Max Aarons and Jefte not really instilling faith in the Ibrox faithful.
| Statistics | Plzen | Rangers |
| Possession | 41% | 59% |
| xG | 3.31 | 1.15 |
| Total shots | 27 | 9 |
| Shots on target | 10 | 2 |
| Big chances | 8 | 1 |
| Keeper saves | 1 | 8 |
Nico Raskin also hasn’t been at his best under Martin, and the Scottish manager will arguably need the Belgium international to be on form to succeed.
While the Glaswegian outfit are dominating possession in most games, they seem to be missing creativity and know-how in the final third.
There are several things the former Southampton boss can change in G51, and he should learn from his mistakes soon.
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