Livorno 2 Rangers 3: Novo repays Le Guen's faith to seal Italian job for Rangers
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Your support makes all the difference.Rangers enjoyed a memorable night in Tuscany with an impressive victory over Livorno in the Uefa Cup Group A opener yesterday. The Scots produced a classy display with three goals in the opening half to earn their first triumph on Italian soil.
Charlie Adam opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a low left-foot shot from 30 yards. Three minutes later Kris Boyd doubled the lead from the penalty spot after Samuel Kuffour had brought down Thomas Buffel in the penalty area.
The Livorno striker Cristiano Lucarelli reduced the deficit with a spot-kick shortly after the half-hour after the referee, Julian Rodriguez Santiago, had ruled that Julien Rodriguez had tugged the shirt of Luca Vigiani.
The Rangers manager Paul Le Guen's decision to start Nacho Novo in place of Dado Prso paid dividends with the Spaniard netting their third 10 minutes before the break - concluding a burst of four goals in little more than eight minutes.
Lucarelli gave Livorno a lifeline just before the end, but time ran out for the Serie A high-flyers.
Le Guen feels his side can push on after their stunning victory. "It was a good game," he said. "The first half was brilliant. I'm very happy with the way we played. Perhaps this win can help us."
He agreed the victory in the group stage was his best at the club so far - only days after his worst experience when Inverness won 1-0 at Ibrox. "But I'm convinced we can get more consistency," the Frenchman added.
The Rangers captain, Barry Ferguson, said: "To be honest, we're just relieved, especially after the game at the weekend which was a bitterly disappointing performance.
"We showed a lot of fight and character that was badly needed. We showed a lot of fighting spirit but it's all right doing it in one game, we need to start doing it every game."
Livorno (4-4-2): Amelia; Galante, Vidigal, Vigiani (Bakayoko, 78), Kuffour; Rezaei (Morrone, 57), Pasquale, Passoni, Cesar Prates (Balleri, 46); Danilevicius, Lucarelli. Substitutes not used: Manitta, Filippini, Pfertzel, Grandoni.
Rangers (4-4-2): Letizi; Buffel (Rae, 89), Ferguson, Hemdani, Novo (Prso, 87); Kris Boyd (Sebo, 82), Svensson, Hutton, Adam; Smith, Rodriguez. Substitutes not used: McGregor, Ponroy, Stanger, N'Diaye.
Referee: J Rodriguez Santiago (Spain).
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