UEFA Champions League: Rangers vs. Valencia - Maurice Edu gifts goal to Valencia for 1-1 draw
Rangers and Valencia ended their Champions League match at 1-1 and shared the spoils. Compared to the action-packed night in Europe it was one of the less feisty affairs. It was in fact the same player that scored on both ends
as the match ended on level terms. Rangers being the home side were expected to be more adventurous and they actually did dominate most of the match but were unlucky to get just one point.
As soon as the game started, there was an early chance for Rangers, and it actually was a good one. Kenny Miller swung a clever cross into the Valencia box and Steven Naismith was in behind the defence, but Cesar Sanchez raced
off his line and spread himself and the striker's shot was saved. Moments later, Miller saw a header at the back stick blocked by the increasingly busy Sanchez.
The constant pressure from the home team finally paid off. It had been coming, and they certainly deserved it. Vladimir Weiss swung over a corner from the left and found Maurice Edu – he jumped up and got over Cesar Sanchez to
head it into the empty net. It was a very well worked goal and it was advantage hosts.
Ranger really did get into their own after the goal; they looked very different from the cautious team that took the pitch against Manchester United. Another move saw the ball fall nicely for Maurice Edu 22 yards out and his right-foot
screamer slammed against Cesar Sanchez's left-hand post and Kenny Miller blazed the rebound over. The first half ended with the hosts in front and in almost total control of the game.
Just after the restart, Valencia managed to get a free kick; it was pumped into the box and Maurice Edu, who had a blinding first half, headed into his own net. Valencia certainly had been handed an early Christmas present, as
they certainly had not done much in the game till then to earn a goal.
After the goal, the visitors got some of their confidence back and started playing better football. There was another good chance for Valencia: it was a good cross to the far post and it was laid off for Juan Mata, but he fired
his effort miles over.
The home side got back into the action and nearly took the lead again at Ibrox; Steven Davis produced a sublime chip from the edge of the Valencia box that forced Cesar Sanchez to back-peddle and he just managed to tip it over.
Rangers continued to pile on the pressure; they had a free-kick on the right of the Valencia box and Sasa Papac wasn't messing about - he ran up and smacked it with his left foot, sending the ball a yard over the bar and Cesar
Sanchez was well beaten.
The match looked destined for a draw, and just 2 minutes before the end, Rangers carved Valencia open again and after Steven Naismith's shot was blocked it fell to Richard Foster at an angle on the right of the six-yard box, but
he could only shoot over. It was a tight-ish angle, but an open goal.
That pretty much summed up the game, and it ended at 1-1. Ranger would feel hard done by with the result while Valencia would be delighted to go home with a point.
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