Good news Rangers fans: Tom Cruise is apparently coming to watch the final Champions League match of the season in Seville, and he’s bringing Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz!
It’s unclear if they’ll be sitting with the Larkhall Loyal, but still, their presence shows that Rangers still have star pulling power, even if it is more Hollywood than Premier League.
Rumours that Cruise (as a spokesman for the Scientologists) will be there to negotiate the purchase of the Glasgow club are entirely made-up. But you never know; Sir David Murray might welcome some cash-rich alien intervention at this point.
Back on planet earth, the Rangers team travelled to Seville on Tuesday morning insisting that the match still holds a great deal of importance for them and the 2,000 or so fans who will be making trip with them.
The rubber does have a £500,000 win bonus, which will no doubt spur on the Ibrox moneymen, but for the players and management this match is surely all about pride. Can Rangers sort out their abysmal European performances and record a win in possibly their toughest match yet? Here’s hoping, because Scottish football needs all the positives it can get right now.
Still, the pressure is off for the Gers: the SPL is still well within their grasp and the Ibrox board have just deftly handled what could have been an explosive and unhappy AGM. On top of that the Rangers supporters have been assured that their stars are not for sale. How much of that is window dressing in anticipation of some canny transfer wrangling in January is anybody’s guess. But you can’t deny it; there’s an oddly positive tint to Rangers’ mood just now.
So to the game at hand: Rangers shipped four second half goals the last time the sides met and the Spaniards have already qualified, winning all but two matches so far. Sevilla need a single point to qualify as winners of Group G so will still be in it to win it.
Rangers returned to SPL form at the weekend with a 3-1 win at Falkirk thanks to goals from Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller. Boyd is negotiating a new-contract, much to the fans’ relief, but is a doubt for this match after picking up a thigh strain.
Madjid Bougherra has kissed and made up with his team mates and should be back to add some much needed verve to the Rangers line-up.
Kirk Broadfoot and Maurice Edu are still out but are nearing fitness and Jerome Rothen mysteriously remains in France recovering from nothing, apparently. Pedro Mendes is still out of action with a knee injury. The home side also have injury problems with Freddie Kanoute and Luis Fabiano struggling for fitness.
- Join Fraser Cardow and Tom Cruise for Rangers' final Champions League match. Live text commentary from Wednesday 19.30. Get in touch by texting 81441 (terms and conditions apply) or email sport@stv.tv. Or leave a comment below.
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