The recent evidence that Rangers, under Dick Advocaat, may at last be ready to pose a threat in the Champions League suffered no damage from this latest outing. Rangers imposed themselves last night with a buoyant first half and some stuffy defending after the break, which took them to six points from their opening two games and a commanding lead at the top of Group D.
The maturity of Rangers' play was astonishing. In the opening half, after Giovanni van Bronckhorst had given them the early lead, they broke Monaco's will with astute possession football.
Advocaat came to Monaco and gambled. Rangers' most adept striker, Michael Mols, has been out for a year with injury and still suffers swelling around his right knee whenever he plays. He does, however, possess the knack of being able to guard the ball at his feet despite no end of defensive buffeting. Advocaat succumbed and threw Mols in.
The other surprise was his decision to play Kerimoglu Tugay, normally a midfielder, as Rangers' sweeper. Tugay has failed to shine at Ibrox since Graeme Souness negotiated his path from Galatasaray. Last night, confronting Monaco's Shabani Nonda and Marco Simone, Tugay excelled in his unfamiliar role.
From the opening there was something bright and eager about Rangers' approach, and after seven minutes they achieved the equivalent of punching Monaco in the gut. Van Bronckhorst was 25 yards out when his lashing left-foot shot flew past Stephane Porato's left post.
Rangers, though, and Lorenzo Amoruso in particular, could be grateful for not having conceded a penalty in the 35th minute, when the Italian clearly and recklessly upended Nonda in the box.
After the break Monaco turned on the pressure but Klos stood firm, bravely blocking Rafael Marquez's shot from eight yards and Amoruso also remained resolute against Nonda's surging runs.
The last 30 minutes of the game was dominated by Simone's twisting, tormenting runs and the avalanche of attacks sweeping down on Klos's goal.
Monaco: Porato, Riise (Prso 45), Marquez, Djetou, Rodriguez, Abidal, Irles, Bonnal (Graveleine 69), Giuly, Simone, Nonda (Courville 83). Subs Not Used: Aubry, Di Tommaso, Farnerud, Givet. Booked: Bonnal, Giuly, Simone.
Rangers: Klos, Konterman, Tugay, Amoruso, Reyna (Vidmar 87), Ferguson, van Bronckhorst, Numan, Johnston, Mols (McCann 58), de Boer. Subs Not Used: Charbonnier, Ricksen, Kanchelskis, Albertz, Dodds. Booked: Johnston, de Boer, Klos, Tugay. Goals: van Bronckhorst 8.
Referee: Atanas Ouzounov (Bulgaria).
