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Thursday, 01 November 2001 15:05

Moscow Dynamo 1-4 Rangers

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RANGERS were rampant in red in Russia as they disposed of old foes Moscow Dynamo with clinical efficiency, racking up a 7-2 aggregate win which is entirely indicative of the difference in class between the two sides.

It was a terrific display from Dick Advocaat's side, which proved infinitely superior to Moscow who are a pale imitation of the side who used to grace this club. In the end it was easy and Advocaat can be very pleased with his team.

Ronald de Boer was the architect of what was Rangers' highest away win in Europe since the defeated FC Haka of Finland by the same scoreline en route to the 1999/2000 Champions League.

Rangers may have suffered the considerable inconvenience of their team bus failing to show up at their hotel to take them to the match but they had the tie won inside the first 15 minutes with two goals to blitz the Russians.

Ibrox officials had to frantically organise two mini-buses to ferry the players to the Dynamo Stadium and Dick Advocaat was far from pleased that their preparations had been disrupted.

The manager need not have worried as Rangers, wearing their change red shirts, roared into the lead in just seven minutes to produced exactly the kind of start they wanted.

It was de Boer who scored the goal and it was from his cross that the move all came about. The Dutchman, back in the starting line-up, forced Zsolt Hornyak to concede a corner.

Claudio Caniggia swept the ball over and Bert Konterman got his head to the ball. His effort was on target but it was deflected to the back post where de Boer was perfectly placed to sweep a left fot shot into the net.

The 1000-strong Rangers supporters to the left of the Moscow goal roared their approval and there was even better to come when Rangers went two ahead after 14 minutes. Some Moscow fans in the sparsely populated stadium decided that was enough and left there and then.

Again it came about as a result of a corner although there was a huge element of the bizarre about the goal which was scored by Barry Ferguson but not without some considerable help from Moscow keeper Vasily Khomutovsky.

Claudio Reyna won the corner when he was shot was deflected wide after he had been set up by Caniggia. The Argentinian then played the corner short to Ferguson who tried to find Fernando Ricksen at the back post.

Khomutovsky totally misjudged th4 flight of the ball and only succeeded in helping it into the net to the absolute joy and surprise of the Rangers players. It was game, set and match there and then.

Rangers should actually have gone in front earlier. Arthur Numan brilliantly played in Reyna after just four minutes but the little American, who scored twice last weekend against Livingston, rather tamely pulled his left foot shot wide.

Numan, though, had an influence for the wrong reasons in 26 minutes when he carelessly gave the ball away to Vitaly Grishin with a loose crossfield pass. It was costly in more ways than one as Craig Moore was booked for bringing down Grishin and Rolan Gusev scored with the ensuing freekick.

Stefan Klos has had the misfortune to lose a few freekicks this season, but there was little he could do as Gusev bent a right foot shot over the wall and into the left corner.

In the grand scheme of things it mattered little. Rangers produced a third goal three minutes before hald-time when Flo slammed a right foot shot past the hapless Khomutovsky and the four-goal aggregate advantage was restored.

It was marvellous play from de Boer which led to the goal and was indicative of his performance all night. His footwork and vision on a miserable cold and wet night in the Russian captail were sensational.

He danced past Lithuanian defender Deividas Shemberas before clipping the perfect pass to Flo who beat the Moscow keeper with ruthless ease.

The job was done because there was simply no way the Russians would come back. Quite naturally, Rangers allowed their opponents more of the ball than they would have liked in the second half but their superiority in class still told.

Advocaat was able to bring on Peter Lovenkrands and Russell Latapy and rest de Boer and Caniggia in lieu of Sunday's SPL clash with Aberdeen which exemplified the attacking options he has.

It was more experience for Lovenkrands and he celebrated his chance with a fourth goal in 79 minutes - his first ever strike for the club.

It was fellow sub Latapy who set him up with a smart pass into the box and the young Dane skipped past the keeper before tucking the ball in the empty net.

Advocaat then introduced Michael Mols for the last 10 minutes and he was grateful for his return to the top team. It was a rainy, cold night in Moscow but Rangers warmed the hearts of their fans with a comfortble win.

MOSCOW DYNAMO: Khomutovsky, Semberas, Tochilin, Hornyak, Zutautas, Novikov, Bystrov (Nemov 85) Gusev, Grishin, Dyatel (Cesnaukis 45), Boulykine (Medvedev 45). Subs not used - Kramarenko, Kharlatchev, Shapovalov, Kozlov.
Bookings: Tochilin (34)

RANGERS: Klos; Moore, Konterman, Amoruso; Ricksen, Reyna, Ferguson, Numan; Caniggia (Latapy 71), Flo, de Boer (Lovenkrands). Subs not used - Christiansen, Mols, Ball, Wilson, Ross.
Bookings: Moore (26)
Ref: Pasquale Rodomonti (Italy)

Att: 6,000.

Man of the match: Ronald de Boer
Moment of the match: It just has to be Khomutovsky chucking in Ferguson's cross.

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