keep believin

how does the song go again? oooh that's right!

Oh I just can't help believin'

Porto 1-1 Rangers

Rangers' young guns breathed new life into their side's Champions League hopes and Alex McLeish's job prospects with a draw against the odds in Oporto.
Lisandro looked to have sent Porto into second place in Group H with a fine glancing header from a Bosingwa cross.

Rangers had failed to put a shot on target until Chris Burke headed into the path of fellow young substitute Ross McCormack to drive the ball home.

And they held on despite late pressure to stay ahead of Porto and Artmedia.

Inter Milan's defeat of the Bratislavans means that Rangers are guaranteed at least a place in the Uefa Cup for finishing third.

But the Glasgow side's hopes of becoming the first from Scotland to progress to the knockout stages had been hampered by poor form that has put McLeish on the brink of losing his job.

They were also not helped by injury to the talismanic Dado Prso and a clutch of other strikers.

Veteran Alex Rae returned to the midfield for the first time since August, with striker Steven Thompson dropping to the bench and Fernando Ricksen moving to right-back in place of Alan Hutton.

Porto dominated from the start and Ricardo Quaresma unleashing an angled shot into the arms of goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus from the edge of the box.

Bosingwa whipped a dangerous cross into the box only for Lisandro to send his header just over the crossbar under pressure from Marvin Andrews.

Quaresma jinked between Ricksen and Hamed Namouchi but fired into the side netting when a cross would have been the better option.

Porto were being held at bay by the negative tactics of Rangers, who themselves had struggled to progress beyond the halfway line.

And frustrated Porto coach Co Adriaanse sent on striker Hugo Almeida at half time in place of Pedro Emanuel.

Almeida and Jorginho both threatened before Porto's pressure eventually told.

Lisandro beat Ricksen in the air to glance home the opener from Bosingwa's cross from deep after 60 minutes.

Captain Barry Ferguson squandered a rare Rangers chance, firing well over from 20 yards following a Ricksen cross.

But McLeish sent on Burke and McCormack and they combined for a smash and grab equaliser finished from 10 yards.

Porto pressed forward and struck the outside of the post after a last-ditch goalmouth scramble.


Porto : Vitor Baia, Cesar Peixoto, Pepe, Pedro Emanuel (Hugo Almeida 45), Bosingwa, Diego (Bruno Alves 64), Paulo Assuncao, Gonzalez, Quaresma, Lopez, Jorginho.
Subs Not Used: Helton, Ricardo Costa, Ibson, McCarthy, Ivanildo.

Booked : Quaresma.

Goal : Lopez 60.

Rangers : Waterreus, Murray, Kyrgiakos, Andrews, Ricksen, Lovenkrands (Burke 78), Ferguson, Hemdani, Alex Rae (Thompson 62), Namouchi, Jeffers (McCormack 76).
Subs Not Used: Klos, Malcolm, Pierre-Fanfan, Hutton.

Booked : Hemdani, Murray, Ferguson.

Goal : McCormack 83.

Att : 48,000

Ref : Herbert Fandel (Germany)
 
Hi

cant wait till gers win the champions league i put 1 pound on them at 101-1

celtic said that last year loads "leagues over" and look what happened same will happen again

KEEP BELIEVING IN ALEX AND THE GERS
 
tonks1982 said:
cant wait till gers win the champions league i put 1 pound on them at 101-1

celtic said that last year loads "leagues over" and look what happened same will happen again

KEEP BELIEVING IN ALEX AND THE GERS

Yes worth putting a quid on at those odds it is possible they have the same chance as any other team, but did i hear right that is the first goal Rangers have scored in over 20 hours of play.
 
DiscoDave said:
Dream on lads if that happens i'll eat my fu**ing hat LOL.
:Jester:


celtic keep playing the way they did today i'll supply you with salt and pepper and a wee glass of champers to wash it down:Cheers:



KEEP BELIEVING:classic:
 
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