Naismith boosts Rangers
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ByEurosport
Updated 30/09/2010 at 16:54 GMT
Rangers won their first Champions League match in three years courtesy of a 1-0 home victory over Turkish champions Bursaspor that boosts their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
Steven Naismith
Image credit: Reuters
Steven Naismith pounced to bravely flick home the winner on 17 minutes at Ibrox after Kirk Broadfoot had headed into his path from Steven Whittaker's raking pass.
Naismith became the first Scottish player to score for Rangers in the Champions League since Charlie Adam netted in a 2-1 win over Stuttgart in 2007.
They last won a match in the tournament when they downed Lyon 3-0 away in the same season.
Rangers join Manchester United on four points at the top of Group C after the English side won 1-0 in Valencia in their second game of the group stages.
Rangers had not won any of their last 12 European games, in which they had scored a meagre total of five goals.
Their last 11 Champions League games had saw them suffer seven defeats and no victories so there was a need to impress with 41,905 watching.
Walter Smith's side made a bright start to the evening when Maurice Edu saw a shot deflected over the bar from 22 yards.
With the visiting goalkeeper Dimitar Ivankov looking decidedly unsure from cross balls, the Glasgow side struck thanks to a beautiful, sweeping move.
Whittaker picked out his opposite full-back Broadfoot and his cushioned header enabled Naismith to convert with Ivankov flapping at fresh air.
Rangers almost made it two when Lee McCulloch nodded Steven Davis's corner wide of the target.
The Turkish side first threatened on 28 minutes when Allan McGregor fisted Vederson's free-kick over the bar before Naismith dragged a volley down into the ground and over from Davis's cross.
Despite having the majority of the second-half pressure, Bursaspor, who were thumped 4-0 by Valencia in their opening game of the tournament, could not really build any momentum.
Kenny Miller forced Ivankov to save at the outset of the second period before Rangers, in a fashion similar to their 0-0 draw at Manchester United earlier this month, began to drop deeper and deeper.
McCulloch was fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty when he seemed to handle Sercan Yildirim's scuffed shot on 49 minutes, but the home side probably just merited the three points.
Edu nudged a shot wide of goal as Rangers continued to hit on the break with a 5-4-1 formation.
Despite some frantic shots at goal, the visitors could not seriously test McGregor as they pushed desperately for an equaliser that was not to come.
Rangers will take a giant step towards qualifying for the last 16 if they can beat Valencia at Ibrox on October 20.
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