23.10.2007 10:30
Rangers v Barça: Did you know…?
Roger Bogunyà
Records, precedents, statistics... We’ve brought together here a fascinating collection of facts surrounding tonight’s Glasgow Rangers v Barça.
- Glasgow Rangers and Barça have never met before in a competitive European match.
- Rangers and Barça are part of a select group of six teams that have won both of their
opening two group matches in the Champions League. The others are Olympique Marseille, Shakhtar
Donetsk, Manchester United and Arsenal.
- Rangers’ 0-3 win away to Lyon was the first time a Scottish club had won an away
match in the Champions League since the 2000/01 season.
- No player from either Barça or Rangers is suspended for this match. However, Rangers
midfielder Kevin Thomson is just one yellow card away from a suspension. If he receives one in this
match, he will miss the game in the Camp Nou.
- If he plays, it will be Carles Puyol’s 80th European
match. It will also be Frank Rijkaard’s 40th match as Barça coach.
- The Rangers squad includes 2 Spanish players, Nacho Novo and Carlos Cuéllar. Novo began his
career with Huesca, before signing for Raith Rovers, Dundee United and, finally, Glasgow Rangers.
Cuéllar has played for Calahorra, Numancia and Osasuna, from where he moved to Rangers this summer.
- Five Rangers players have played in all 6 of their team’s matches in the Champions
League so far, including the qualifying phase: McGregor, Weir, Cuéllar, Ferguson and Hemdani.
- Both teams have scored 5 goals in their 2 Champions League matches, and in both cases 4 of
the 5 goals have come in the second half.
The referee
The Austrian referee, Konrad Platz, has officiated in two Barça matches. The first was in the 3rd
round of the UEFA Cup in the 2000/01 season, when Barça beat Bruges 0-2. The other was
Barça’s first Champions League match last season when they thrashed Levski Sofia 5-0.
Konrad Platz has also refereed one match involving Glasgow Rangers, when the Scottish side
drew 1-1 at home with Inter Milan in the group stage of the Champions League in the 2005-06 season.
Recently, Mr Platz took control of the EURO 2008 qualifying match between France (with
Abidal, Thuram and Henry) and Scotland, which Scotland won 0-1. Konrad Platz also refereed the last
European Super Cup match, when Milan beat Sevilla 3-1.