Another slip from Steven Gerrard. Rangers have fallen to a 4-3 Europa League defeat in Spartak Moscow, despite leading the match on three separate occasions. It was a game which featured calamitous defending from both sides, each of whom scored embarrassing own goals.
Ultimately it was a nightmare second-half which cost Steven Gerrard's team the three points, forfeiting their 3-2 halftime lead without ever really looking like coming back into the game late on.
The Scottish side took lead after only five minutes, with Spartak defender Roman Eremnko popping up with this bullet of a header into his own net.
They were soon pegged back, Lorenzo Melgarejo levelling the score on the 20 minute mark. Rangers retook the lead a few moments later, when some shocking defending from Spartak was coupled with a lucky touch by Daniel Candeias who then finished smartly.
We soon had our second own goal of the night, this time Rangers' Connor Goldson the culprit. His wild swipe from a dangerous Luiz Adriano cross saw the ball fly into the far corner, a finish any striker would be proud of.
Rangers took the lead for a third time just before the interval, with Glenn Middleton providing the finishing touch.
At this stage Gerrard would have fancied his side's chances at taking all three points, a result which would have sent them top of the group. However things would all fall apart in the space of one second-half minute.
A Luiz Adriano header levelled things up on 58 minutes, before this wild deflected goal from Sofiane Hanni gave Spartak the lead 60 seconds later. McGregor was left with no chance.
Rangers never really asserted themselves on the game in the closing 30 minutes. They looked devoid of any real attacking threat, and the home side squandered a couple of opportunities to kill the game off.
The Glasgow side did almost grab an equaliser in the dying moment, striking the post from a corner. In truth they did not really deserve anything from a game that saw them sloppily let a lead slip on three separate occasions.
After the game, manager Steven Gerrard continued the trend of absolutely rinsing his own players in his post match interview, singling out Connor Goldson for his unfortunate sliced own goal:
Under-12s and under-13s normally can clear the ball with either foot... and when you get a bit older you learn to play the game professionally.
"Under-12s and under-13s normally can clear the ball with either foot..." ?
Steven Gerrard has some choice words on Rangers' defensive showing after defeat in Moscow. pic.twitter.com/EzBGv7z04s
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) November 8, 2018
It was hardly necessary for Gerrard to bring up Goldson's mistake, surely the centre back feels embarrassed enough about it as it stands.
Gerrard said later on in the interview that he couldn't be too critical seeing as his players have got him so far in Europe. Too late pal, that horse has bolted.
