Van Bronckhorst issues verdict on Super Eagles star’s red card incident

Balogun got his first marching orders of the season, but the Gers dug deep to claim the vital victory 

Rangers gaffer Giovanni Van Bronckhorst has defended defender Leon Balogun after the Super Eagles star got sent off in the 28th minute of Rangers’ 3-1 victory at Motherwell.

Referee Nick Walsh issued Balogun his first red card of the season 28 minutes into their clash against Motherwell after the former Wigan Athletic man clumsily tackled Dean Cornelius.

Nonetheless, the Gers dug deep and scored two second-half goals to ensure a 3-1 victory at Fir Park.

Rangers boss Van Bronckhorst disagreed with Walsh’s decision as he believed that Balogun’s tackle was not malicious, and he was going for the ball.

“Leon wanted to win the tackle,” Van Bronckhorst told Rangers website.

“in these circumstances, the margins are very little, so the ref decided to give the red card, and we had to respect that, move on and make sure we had the focus on the minutes that we had to play after that sending off.”

Balogun has been an important player for Rangers this season, making 33 appearances in all competitions for the Gers.

The Super Eagles star is still available for selection when Rangers square off against RB Leipzig in the first leg of their Europa League quarterfinal tie on Thursday.