German VAR piles the pressure on Beale with Champions League place in doubt

The competency of Christian Dingert has put a major question mark over Micky Beale’s prospects of joining Celtic in the Champions League.

Two goals in the first fifteen minutes, from James Tavernier (yes it was) and Cyriel Dessers put the home side in easy street against opponents that were without seven first team players through suspension, injury and the refusal of a visa from the Home Office.

Sevette were no great shakes but a couple of minutes from half-time a routine cross into the penalty box was met by the outstretched hand of Dessers.

It was the sort of routine incident that Connor Goldson gets away with in the SPFL but Dingert on VAR duty, far from Clydesdale House reviewed the incident, alerted the referee who reviewed it then pointed to the penalty spot.

Chris Bedia tucked the penalty away and suddenly the match was flipped, from a comfortable half-time lead the pressure from an anxious crowd piled down into the home side with few characters in Beale’s dressing room capable of responding positively.

Rangers have conceded 5 penalties in 11 games in Europe.
Rangers have conceded 0 (zero) penalties in 56 games in the Scottish Premier League. https://t.co/QfBT62bd6q
— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) August 9, 2023

Todd Cantwell picked up a booking early in the second half but in the 59^th minute David Douline picked up his second yellow card with the home side given half an hour to stretch their lead.

That was too much to ask for as time slipped away with Beale sending on a variety of substitutes to try and snatch a goal but the Servette defence held out quite comfortably.

Once again the lack of width and pace acted like a ball and chain on Beale’s side, when you throw on Scott Wright a fortnight after tying to dump him in Turkey you know that options are limited.

Next Tuesday Sevette will be backed by a sell-out crowd knowing that a two goal win will deliver a £5m pay-put from UEFA and another home match as they look to reach the group stage of the Champions League.

Beale will have to negotiate his way past Livingston on Saturday then hope to have enough in the bank to get past Sevette- or face a deluge of criticism for failing to match Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s achievement of reaching the group stage of the Champions League.

Despite that achievement van Bronckhorst was sacked before the end of December.