Pressure mounts on van Bronckhorst as Braga strike latest blow

Giovanni van Bronkckhorst watched his side slip to a 1-0 defeat away to Braga tonight in the quarter-final first leg of the Europa League. 

It was the sixth European defeat of the season for the Ibrox aces and sets up a tense second leg next Thursday- three days before facing Celtic in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup. 

Aaron Ramsey, Sunday’s goal hero against Celtic was left on the bench and unused as the pressure cranks up on van Bronckhorst and his squad. 

Abel Ruiz scored the only goal of the game in the 40th minute but that came shortly after Braga had struck the post and had a ‘goal’ disallowed by VAR. 

On Sunday van Bronckhorst has to get his side in the right frame of mind to face St Mirren in the SPFL hoping to avoid a third successive defeat as their fans grow increasingly restless.