Dejan Kulusevski comes off bench to get Tottenham draw at Rangers

By Sporting Life

Football

Fri December 13, 2024 · 1w ago

Tottenham required a second-half strike by substitute Dejan Kulusevski to earn a 1-1 draw with Rangers in a pulsating Europa League clash at Ibrox.

Former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou was under the spotlight after just one win in seven and his side were more than matched by a combative Gers side amid a terrific atmosphere.

The Light Blues took the lead two minutes into the second half through a terrific strike by in-form Moroccan striker Humza Igamane, his fifth goal in five games.

Tottenham had to hold on grimly in the face of constant Gers pressure but half-time replacement Kulusevski equalised in the 75th minute with former Parkhead keeper Fraser Forster ending a fine night’s work by making a terrific save late the game from Gers substitute Cyriel Dessers to take the point back south.

Both sides moved on to 11 points from 18 with two fixtures remaining and still on course for the knockout stages but the Light Blues will take huge confidence from their performance into Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup final against Celtic at Hampden Park.

After Spurs enjoyed a pre-match huddle in front of their travelling support, both sides went at each other.

Forster made fine saves from drives from Nedim Bajrami and Vaclav Cerny, twice, while Gers keeper Jack Butland thwarted Tottenham captain Heung-Min Son and Brennan Johnson, also at close range.

Amid an expansive first half, John Souttar had to be replaced by Leon Balogun but the Gers fans were heartened by the interval, where Postocoglou replaced the ineffective Timo Werner with Kulusevski who barely had time to settle before Spurs fell behind.

Gers skipper James Tavernier dinked a ball over the Tottenham defence and Igamane drilled the ball behind Forster from just inside the box to send most of Ibrox into raptures.

Spurs wobbled and Ibrox rocked as Rangers went for number two with Cerny probing again.

In the 53rd minute, as Spurs responded, Pedro Porro fired over the bar as a warning to the home side.

Postecoglou took action.

Lucas Bergvall, Dominic Solanke and Pape Sarr come on for Rodrigo Bentancur, Johnson and Yves Bissouma and Spurs regrouped, with Butland forced into a save at his near post from a Pedro Porro volley.

Connor Barron and Dujon Sterling took over from the tiring Bajrami and Sterling in the 68th minute, just before Dejan Kulusevski drilled a left-footed drive low past Butland following a Solanke cut-back, to finish off a slick Spurs move.

The visitors looked more likely to get a second but Rangers fought back again and Forster saved the day for Spurs five minutes from time when he Dessers, on for Igamane and the Gers substitute had the ball in the net moments later, only to be ruled offside.

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