RUSSELL STARTIN'

Greeks gave them food for thought but 'undercooked' Gers serve up fine opening success for new boss

- FRASER WILSON AT IBROX

THE fear was that Rangers would be undercooked heading into the Champions League qualifying pressure cooker.

Well this will surely do for starters.

Russell Martin and his new-look side wasted no time turning up the heat on 10-man Panathinaikos thanks in no small part to wonderstrikes from two players as fresh as a slab of butcher's meat.

Goals from 18-year-old Findlay Curtis and 21-year-old debutant Djedei Gassama, just four minutes after climbing off the bench, ensured the new era got off to a sizzling start ahead of next week's return in baking hot Athens.

Jack Butland had bailed Rangers out three times with big saves from Filip Duricic and Erik Palmer-Brown in the first half and another from Filip Duricic after the break to tee Curtis up to blow the roof off Ibrox with a stunning opener in 52 minutes.

Nico Raskin did the legwork breaking out of defence before releasing the youngster on the left.

The teenager belied his rookie status to burst inside Giorgios Vagiannidis and bend a wonderful effort from 25 yards across Bartlomiej Dragowski and in at the far post.

It got even better for Rangers - and worse for Vagiannidis - five minutes later when the influential full-back received a second yellow for hauling down Curtis.

Raskin was then denied twice by Dragowski in the 66th minute as Rangers looked to extend their lead.

But they got the cushion with 12 minutes to go when Gassama announced his arrival in the best possible way to secure a first-ever win for a Scottish side over Panathinaikos at the eighth time of asking.

The £2.5million signing from Sheffield Wednesday received a pass from Mohamed Diomande on the left and, like Curtis, cut inside before rifling home from the edge of the box.