FC Barcelona maintain leadership of Group E after scoreless draw.


Match Report: Tuesday 23/10/2007 20:45hrs (GMT +1), Champions League Match Day 3


GLASGOW RANGERS - FC BARCELONA 0-0


Stadium: Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow
Capacity: 51,082

Referee: Konrad Platz ( AUT )


Goals: None


Cautions:
Yellow Card :


FC Barcelona - Milito ( 48' ), Abidal ( 63' )


Glasgow Rangers - Thomson ( 36' ), Papac ( 50' ), Weir ( 71' )


Possession:

FC Barcelona 70%
Glasgow Rangers 30%


Corner Kicks:

FC Barcelona 10
Glasgow Rangers 4


Shots on goal ( on Target ):

FC Barcelona 17 ( 10 )
Glasgow Rangers 4 ( 0 )




Line-Up:


FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes, Thuram, Puyol, Milito, Abidal, Iniesta, Xavi, Gudjohnsen, Ronaldinho, Henry ( Giovani, 82' ), Messi


Manager: Frank Rijkaard


Glasgow Rangers (4-5-1): McGregor, Hutton, Weir, Papac, Ferguson, Thomson, Novo ( Beasley, 72' ), Adam, Cuellar, McCulloch, Cousin


Manager: Walter Smith


Match Report:
Ronaldinho put up a brilliant performance to ensure the Scottish were well entertained and on the edge of their seats for most part of the match. The Brazilian returned after missing the last match against Villarreal in the Spanish La Liga.


The first real chance of the match fell to Rangers when Cousin was fouled by Lilian Thuram a few yards in front of the corner flag. Barry Ferguson presided over the resultant free-kick but his effort was comfortably collected by goalkeeper Victor Valdes. At the other end, Henry won a corner for the visitors which was swung into the box by Xavi. Eidur Gudjohnsen rose above everyone else to nod just over the crossbar.


Rangers were threatening again when Nacho Novo whipped a cross into the goalmouth and Cousin squeezed between Gabriel Milito and Puyol only to fail to connect with the header six yards out. But it was only a matter of time before Barcelona stamped their authority on the game and Rangers spent the rest of the half surviving an onslaught. The home side were forced into last-gasp defending when Carlos Cuellar hooked a Messi effort off the line.


Rangers were then under pressure again when Ronaldinho was hacked down by Alan Hutton 25 yards out. The Brazilian took the free-kick himself but was denied by the woodwork when the effort crashed off the crossbar and over. Kevin Thomson picked up the first booking of the match for a foul on Henry just outside the box but, this time, Ronaldinho drove the set-piece against the Rangers wall. Ronaldinho then turned provider, picking out Puyol with a long ball on the right flank, but the Barca skipper was denied the opener when his header was tipped over by Allan McGregor. Neither team made any changes at the interval and Milito became the first Barcelona player to be cautioned just two minutes after the restart for a foul on Cousin. He was quickly followed into the book by Sasa Papac, for a challenge on Messi on the edge of the area, but the resultant free-kick from Ronaldinho was cleared by a stubborn Rangers defence.


Barcelona surged forward in numbers in search of the opener and were displaying some wonderful passing football. However, McGregor was far from troubled by a poor long range effort from Xabi, who blasted well over the crossbar from 35 yards. Rangers had a rare chance to put their visitors under pressure with a free-kick a yard in front of the nearside corner flag but Charlie Adam's ball into the box was cleared by Henry. The French star should have opened the scoring for the La Liga side when he connected with a Xavi corner but somehow managed to nod over from close range.


Sighs of relief from the Ibrox crowd were then replaced by groans of despair as Novo and Ferguson both narrowly failed to connect with a Cousin cross, as the ball fizzed across goal and wide. David Weir - who had been excellent in the heart of defence all evening - was booked before Cousin hooked agonisingly wide as Rangers tried to snatch the winner. In the end, both teams were forced to settle for the draw, with a relieved Glasgow Rangers grateful to the referee for ending the match at the right time.


My Comments:

Rangers never lived up to their pre-match promises of giving Barca hell, and were rather facing hell for most of the game, as the hosts were lucky to have secured a draw in their own backyard. Barca played a good game, though could have done better in the attack and converted one or two good chances. FC Barcelona deserved to win the match, but a draw is manageable and a befitting consolation for the superior La Liga giants.