After their shock 1-0 first-leg defeat at Ibrox last week, Rangers head into their Champions League third round qualifying clash against Malmo hoping to overturn the deficit against the Swedish outfit on Wednesday night (Malmo 7/4, draw 9/4, Rangers 5/4).
There were few who expected Malmo to come away from Glasgow with an advantage, but Gers fans were once again ruing the name Larsson, as Daniel Larsson’s first-half goal was enough to give the Scandinavian side the narrow win.
Rangers had their chances in the first leg, with Scotland international Steven Naismith (5/1 first goalscorer) missing two gilt-edged chances to give the SPL champions a goal to take to Sweden.
The attacking midfielder has scored two already this season but could have had plenty more, with chances also going begging against Hearts on the opening day.
A goal against St Johnstone last weekend will not have done the 24-year-old’s confidence any harm ahead of this crucial Champions League qualifier, with the outcome potentially having a huge effect on Rangers’ season.
The money from the lucrative European competition is irreplaceable, especially for a club in the financial position that Rangers finds itself in these days.
It’s been a slow start for manager Ally McCoist at Ibrox after waiting till his third game in charge to secure a victory for the Old Firm outfit.
Now the former assistant manager to Walter Smith will have to continue his steep learning curve, as his side go into their uphill battle against Malmo.
The club which brought current AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic through their ranks as a youngster will have been delighted with their success in the first leg and have an important away goal to protect at the Swedbank Stadion.
Malmo are ninth in the Allsvenskan and have found the Champions League a welcomed distraction from their under-par domestic form.
However, the Himmelsblatt or Sky Blues will have their 24,000-seater stadium to themselves on Wednesday, with Rangers (5/4 SPL 2011/2012 outright) having their fans banned for the European clash following problems with reported sectarian chants in the Champions League last season, so the home side will be a tough nut to crack on Wednesday in front of a passionate home support.
Gers always have a strong following whenever they play abroad and McCoist and his men may well miss their travelling fans, on what will be a difficult night for the side, as they hope to find the form that brought them success last term.
Malmo did not just produce a smash and grab performance in the first leg and they tested Scotland goalkeeper Allan McGregor on a few occasions with only decent saves from the Gers No.1 keeping his side in the tie.
Brazilian centre-forward Wilton Figueiredo was a constant threat at Ibrox and could have had a couple of goals of his own, were it not for McGregor.
So, all things considered, it will be a tough task for Rangers to overturn the deficit but, man for man, the SPL champions do have a stronger squad than the Swedish outfit – if they perform to their best.
Malmo proved they fully deserve to be at this stage of qualification but, with Rangers showing promising signs of improvement against St Johnstone, McCoist’s men might just sneak their way into the group stage with an away win of their own in Sweden – although the smart money might be on them doing it via extra time.
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