He was Rangers’ top man on a night when there were a number of good performers. He only just pipped the other Claudio, Argentinian star Caniggia, for man of the match while Fernando Ricksen and Lorenzo Amoruso were also excellent.
Overall Rangers were just too powerful for Livvy, who finished the game with 10 men after Marvin Andrews was sent off, and the prospects for Russia on Thursday night now look exceedingly good.
The qualities of Reyna in midfield for Rangers are many but it was his coolness in front of goal which set up an important and thoroughly deserved win at Almondvale.
With almost nonchalant ease he finished off a superb move in 23 minutes with a smooth left foot strike which found the left corner to claim his first strike of the season and it could not have come at a better time.
His second goal in 58 minutes was more opportunistic but it made Rangers more comfortable in the match as it subdued the Livvy Lions who had started the game at such a frantic pace.
Livvy had been battling for the ball like dervishes in the early moments, never giving Rangers a minute’s peace to enforce their passing game upon them. Indeed they created a couple of decent chances of their own before Rangers struck but they seemed to lose a bit of their sting when Reyna struck.
It was some superb play from Fernando Ricksen and Claudio Caniggia, back in the starting line-up at the expense of Ronald de Boer, which created the opportunity.
Ricksen’s pass down the right side was inch-perfect for Caniggia, who burst clear of the attentions of Didier Santini and Oscar Rubio and then cut the ball back for Reyna whose finish was excellent.
It settled the game down because Livvy might have scored twice in the opening moments. David Bingham’s header in 11 minutes from Barry Wilson’s corner was cleared off the line by Barry Ferguson.
Then in 22 minutes David Xausa squandered an excellent chance when he got between Bert Konterman and Ricksen to get on the end of another accurate Wilson centre but Xausa’s header was weak and wide.
Reyna had served notice that he was in the mood when he shot just over the top in 12 minutes while Konterman tried his luck from 30 yards a minute later but his shot was well wide of its intended target – the top right corner of Nick Culkin’s goal.
Even although the ferocity of the contest had diminished after the Reyna strike, the match did explode in 32 minutes when Arthur Numan and Stefan Klos hesitated in the box almost allowing Wilson a chance.
Klos seemed to have the ball under control on the ground but Wilson continued to challenge for it with his feet. This angered Numan who pushed the Canadian to the ground with some force.
Referee John Underhill took the middle ground by cautioning Wilson and Numan and that seemed to calm things down, although both sides felt aggrieved by Underhill’s actions.
Rubio then earned a booking for a heavy challenge in Flo in 40 minutes as the Ibrox side finished the first half strongly and might have increased their lead just before the break.
Marvin Andrews made a vital block on Caniggia’s netbound shot and then Ricksen forced a good save out of Culkin after a neat one-two move with the Flo.
Rangers should have a penalty in the early moments of the second half. Indeed they might have had two. Firstly Stuart Lovell clearly handled the ball in the box in 49 minutes and then Flo was tumbled by Rubio in the next move but the referee ignored Rangers claims.
The irony was that when Rangers did finally get a penalty in 64 minutes Flo missed it, striking a weak effort which Culkin was able to block with some ease. Marvin Andrews had been sent off for the last-man challenge on Flo which led to the spotkick and that only exacerbated the situation for Livvy, who by this time were two down.
The second Reyna strike had come in the 58th minute and there were many similarities to the first goal. Ricksen and Caniggia combined again but this time the Argentinian played his cross to the back post.
Flo won it in the air, heading back across goal where Shota Arveladze dived to head from point-blank range but Culkin made a brilliant block. Reyna, though was quickest to react to sweep a right foot shot behind the stranded keeper.
Norwegian star Flo certainly did not make his spotkick miss upset him as he came close to scoring in 68 minutes. Arveladze set him up with a super pass but Flo’s left foot shot smacked off the left hand post.
Ronald de Boer was introduced for goal hero Reyna in 69 minutes and then Flo made way for Peter Lovenkrands as Rangers kept one eye on their impending trip to Russia. Manager Dick Advocaat knew the match was won and did not need to take any unnecessary risks.
There was still time for Michael Ball to come on in 81 minutes, replacing Caniggia who had tormented the First Division champions all night and played such a key role in both goals.
And in the end Rangers finished very good winners at a venue where many thought they might struggle. Now it’s all eyes on Moscow.
LIVINGSTON: Culkin; Brinquin, Andrews, Rubio, Santini; Toish, Lovell, Quino (Fernandez 45); Wilson, Xausa (del Nero 70), Bingham. Subs not used – McEwan, Caputo, Aurelio.
Sent off: Andrews (64)
Bookings: Wilson (32), Rubio (40)
RANGERS: Klos; Ricksen, Moore, Amurso, Numan; Reyna (de Boer 69), Konterman, Ferguson; Caniggia (Ball 81), Flo (Lovenkrands 78), Arveladze. Subs not used – Christiansen, Ross.
Bookings: Numan (32)
Ref: John Underhill.
Att: 10,012
Man of the match: Claudio Reyna.
Moment of the match: Ricksen’s superb pass which led to the first goal.