Kenny Dalglish was stunned at the ragged Rangers display against Union Saint-Gilloise but admitted the penalty award against the Ibrox side was just as shocking - and proves VAR won’t cure all ills when it’s introduced into Scottish football this season.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst watched his side slump to a 2-0 defeat in Belgium with the second goal coming from a harsh penalty award against the Light Blues for a handball against Connor Goldson as it deflected onto him from close range after ricocheting off Ben Davies.
The Light Blues have a huge task ahead of them as they look to overturn a two-goal first leg deficit. While Dalglish admitted the spot kick award was ridiculous, he couldn’t fathom the flat performance from Rangers. But the Liverpool and Scotland legend believes a packed Ibrox on Tuesday night could help “spook” the Belgians who went down to a 3-0 defeat against Mechelen in the league on Saturday.
Writing in his Sunday Post column, the 71-year-old said: “I was taken aback by the performance from Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side. They didn’t play well, and it could have been a bigger margin of defeat. They have left themselves a massive mountain to climb, and it’s going to take a monumental performance to overturn the deficit.
“My biggest hope for Rangers is that the Belgian side get rattled by the Ibrox crowd. They will not be used to highly-charged European atmospheres, and the noise that can be generated inside Ibrox might spook them. It’s important that there is a togetherness between the stands and the players on the pitch from the first whistle.
"There is a far greater chance of victory if they are all pulling in the same direction, and can put Union on the back foot. I’m sure lessons will have been learned from the first leg, but big characters and a strong mentality will be required for Rangers to progress. It looks as though Alfredo Morelos will be available for selection for this game, and that will be a massive bonus.
"Asking him to play from the start after so long out injured will probably be too big an ask, but he could be extremely useful with 20 or 25 minutes to go. The Colombian has vast experience, and is desperate to play in the Champions League group stage for the first time. He just might have a huge role to play on Tuesday. I hope Rangers go through, and can also get past Monaco or PSV Eindhoven in the play-off.”
And on the penalty decision, Dalglish said: “Anyone who thinks VAR will ensure referees will get every decision right when it’s introduced to Scottish football later this season obviously didn’t watch Rangers’ game in Belgium last Tuesday night.
“Connor Goldson was penalised for a handball by the official from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Irfan Peljto. It was a shocking decision. Mr Peljto got that one badly wrong, and it led to a second goal for Union Saint-Gilloise which could prove to be very, very costly for Rangers.
“In any European game, there is a massive difference between a one-goal and two-goal deficit. Hopefully, if there are any decisions that are 50-50 at Ibrox on Tuesday night, the Light Blues will benefit from a wee bit of good fortune. However, you also have to earn the breaks.”
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