Dundee 1
Rangers 1
League (Premier League)

Match Report

Dundee's astutely-assembled world XI. demonstrated to multi-million pound Rangers the dangers which could lie ahead on their latest European adventure.

If lowly Dundee can give the SPL champions such a fright, they had better beware the unfashionable Austrians of Sturm Graz on Tuesday.

This was an example of method outflanking money. Indeed, the biggest shock was not the result but the fact that referee Dougie McDonald only brandished three cards and all yellow at that.

The game was so evenly poised that most folk agreed the first goal would probably settle the issue.

When it came from a glorious Neil McCann strike, against his former club, things certainly looked good for Rangers. Even more so when the visitors then proceeded to dominate the next 10 minutes, when a second goal would certainly have killed off the spirited home side.

Yet Dundee refused to give in and substitute Juan Sara's equaliser - two minutes after he replaced player-manager Bonetti - threw the initiative back the other way.

In the end, if anyone was going to win this intriguing encounter, it was Dundee.

There were only 11 home-bred players named on the 32-man team sheets, but that did nothing to detract from the enjoyment of this game.

After appetites had been whetted by the lively first half, the game burst to life with two goals. Obviously more goals would have been welcome, but the discerning fan would not have been slow to appreciate the skill and speed on offer.

Ignore the formations because really both sides attempted to play a modern, fluid game where positions counter for little.

Rangers took the lead when Gavin Rae made his only mistake of the game in allowing himself to be dispossessed by the impressive Tugay.

With most players, including Dundee's defence, expecting the lay-off to go to Mols, Tugay instead picked out McCann wide on the left and his 25-yarder flew into the top right corner.

Nine minutes later, Billy Dodds had a glorious opportunity to kill off the home side, but he headed weakly wide from just eight yards.

Few could deny Dundee their equaliser, although Rangers skipper Lorenzo Amoruso virtually gifted the home side their point.

He was too casual and allowed himself to be dispossessed by Sara. Initially, it appeared the Argentinian had over-run the ball, but it rebounded to him from the onrushing Klos and the ricochet carried the ball tantalisingly over the line.

Smith, Tweed, Rae and Bonetti were outstanding for Dundee. For Rangers, Mols didn't look as if he had been out injured for 10 months and was ably backed up by Reyna, Tugay and van Bronckhorst. Ronald de Boer was completely anonymous on his league debut.

In a game sensibly handled by the referee, the three yellow cards went to de Marchi (harshly, as he appeared to win the ball from McCann), Sara for taking the legs from Amoruso and Tugay for persistent fouling.

Match report written by The Sporting Post