Russell Martin’s bold team selection paid off as Rangers battered Viktoria Plzen 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifier at Ibrox.
The Gers boss hit out at some of his squad following their deflating 1-1 draw at Motherwell on Saturday, questioning mentality, egos and application, and captain James Tavernier and midfielder Nicolas Raskin were the biggest names among the expected changes.
Martin got the required reaction as winger Djeidi Gassama scored after 15 minutes with his third European goal in three ties before returning striker Cyriel Dessers added a second from the spot just before the interval.
Gassama, signed this summer from Sheffield Wednesday, scored a third in the 51st minute to put the Govan side into a commanding lead and eventually a comfortable win.
The Light Blues will be heavy favourites for the return game in the Czech Republic next Tuesday, with a play-off tie against Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg or Club Brugge of Belgium awaiting the winners.
After pointing the finger at his under-performers at the weekend, all eyes were on Martin’s team selection and he made significant changes.
Along with Tavernier and Raskin – arguably Gers’ best player last season – Danilo and Kieran Dowell were left out.
New signing Oliver Antman, the Finland winger who joined from Go Ahead Eagles on Monday, made his debut – and was terrific – with left-back Jefte, midfielder Lyall Cameron and Dessers returning while John Souttar was named captain.
The Ibrox crowd was more subdued than usual on a big European night, initially.
In the seventh minute Plzen’s lofty striker Rafiu Durosinmi headed a cross from Amar Memic past the post but it was Gassama who struck first, playing a one-two with Dessers at the edge of the visitors’ box before confidently curling the ball past keeper Florian Wiegele.
After Gers defender Nasser Djiga brilliantly blocked a goal-bound shot from visiting captain Matej Vydra, Antman’s drive from a Gassama cut-back at the other end was cleared off the line by Vaclav Jamelka.
Bizarrely Raskin, warming up on the sidelines, was booked by French referee Clement Turpin for apparently trying to interfere at a Plzen throw-in as the Czech side began to exert some pressure.
However, when a driving run into the box by Antman ended with him being barged over by Vydra, referee Turpin pointed to the spot for a soft penalty and Dessers sent Wiegele the wrong way.
Rangers started the second half strongly and within three minutes midfielder Mohamed Diomande struck the bar with an effort from the edge of the box.
However, the third soon arrived as Gassama grabbed his second when he bulleted in a header from a pinpoint Antman cross from the right.
There were occasional moments of sloppiness in the Gers ranks throughout the rest of the second half but they remained unpunished.
Raskin, Danilo, and Tavernier all came off the bench when the job was done, before in the 83rd minute Gers keeper Jack Butland made a good save from a powerful drive from Memic.
After the negativity of Fir Park, it was a more positive performance from the home side although there has to be much more to come from Martin’s men.
