Glasgow Rangers battered Midtjylland of Denmark to put themselves just two games away from the Europa League group stages.
Former Celtic defender Erik Sviatchenko has admitted that he is ‘obviously disappointed’ after he marked his return to Scotland with a 3-1 defeat to Rangers in Europa League qualifying on Thursday night, speaking to TipsBladet.
The Gers’ impressive record on the continent under Steven Gerrard is showing no signs of coming to an end. As it stands, they are just two games away from reaching the Europa League group stages after blowing away Midtjylland of Denmark 7-3 on aggregate.
After a 4-2 win away from home last week, the Glasgow giants cruised to a 3-1 second leg win at Ibrox with Alfredo Morelos and Sheyi Ojo running the Dane’s defence ragged throughout.
Sviatchenko admitted six days ago that Midtjylland would have to ‘smash’ Rangers in Scotland to stand any chance of progressing, and he is understandably dejected after the SuperLigaen runners-up failed to mount anything like a comeback.
“I’m obviously disappointed. We as a team just have to do better, and unfortunately over these two matches we all make too many mistakes defensively and offensively,” said Sviatchenko, who won two Scottish Premiership titles with Celtic.
“We started with a great chance after half a minute and, had we scored there, it might have been different. But football is sometimes just so unfair that you make one mistake and then suddenly it is 1-0 to them and the game is over somehow.”
A triumphant Gerrard certainly revelled in a brilliant victory for his side, mocking the typically outspoken Sviatchenko at the final whistle. The Dane bit back, telling the Daily Record that Gerrard was merely the ‘apprentice’ to former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers.
It is a shame for the neutrals, then, that this rather petty war of words is over for now.
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