FOOTBALL: ISTAN-BULL; GALATASARAY...3 RANGERS...........2.
RANGERS were left reeling last night after a double assault.First they crumbled in the face of Galatasaray's pressure on a night of torrential rain and then, even before they were allowed to dry off, they were recoiling from the full force of Dick Advocaat's wrath.
The Rangers manager was upset that his players hadn't clicked into gear against Galatasaray until it was too late.
They seemed to freeze in Hell - the name given to Galatasaray's broken-down Ali Sami Yen stadium - and lost 3-2 as well as top spot in Group D.
The Turkish champions have gone top because they beat the Ibrox side and a stern-faced Advocaat complained: "Too many of my players were absent for much of the game and did not show enough commitment until it was all too late.
"The conditions did not help but the main reason for the defeat was the fact we didn't start to play as we can until it was 3-0.
"I told the players at half-time that they had to start playing more attractive football because they had had a lot of possession but we started the second half by conceding two goals in the first 10 minutes. Then it was all over."
That clearly was far from acceptable for Advocaat who added: "We only showed in the last 20 minutes that we can play better than we had done previously in the match but it was too late.
"That we conceded three simple goals was very disappointing."
Advocaat, however, believes that with the way the results have been going in this Champions League group all four teams are capable of beating each other. "It could go to the very end," Advocaat said and he found an ally in Galatasaray's manager Mircea Lucescu.
He said: "Galatasaray are now favourites to win the group although I admit Rangers will be favourites to win in Glasgow in the next game.
"With Monaco winning against Sturm Graz the group will go down to the last kick in the last game."
Lucescu also admitted his side had taken advantage of uncertainty in Rangers' defence to score the first goal. Stefan Klos had just injured his dodgy right ankle and then had to defend a corner. Claudio Reyna didn't mark and Akin Bulent opened the scoring.
Lucescu, who was under severe pressure to get a result after last week's horror show in Austria where Galatasaray lost 3-0 to Sturm Graz, said: "Yes, we did score when the Rangers keeper was injured and we took advantage of their lack of concentration."
Before leaving the stadium Advocaat added: "I think we will have to be either first or second in the group going into the final match. If so I'd be happy.
"I also think 10 points will be enough to get qualification but we still have to go out and win the points.'
The UEFA and Super Cup holders were three ahead before Rangers managed to respond. Andrei Kanchelskis, who had taken over from Allan Johnston in 58 minutes, and Giovanni van Bronckhorst scored two late goals to make the scoreline respectable.
Billy Dodds, who went on when Michael Mols had run out of steam, saw a header saved brilliantly by Claudio Taffarel and a van Bronckhorst shot smacked a post but Rangers were negligent.
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| Title Annotation: | Sport |
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| Author: | Traynor, James |
| Publication: | Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland) |
| Date: | Sep 28, 2000 |
| Words: | 549 |
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