An inspired Vaclav Cerny’s double helped revived Rangers bounce back from Sunday’s abject domestic defeat at Kilmarnock with a comprehensive four-goal Europa League demolition over FCSB at Ibrox.
Philippe Clement’s men responded tremendously to their weekend disappointment and some fierce criticism in style against the Romanian champions, with the Belgian opting to make two changes from their Rugby Park nightmare. Leon Balogun replaced Robin Propper at centre-back, while Nicolas Raskin was favoured over Mohamed Diomande in the middle of the park.
Clement stated pre-match “it’s not about the reaction, it’s about the performance” and the Gers boss will have been delighted to get both from his players with Tom Lawrence, Cerny’s brace and substitute Hamza Igamane’s late strike sealing three impressive points. It marked the first time Rangers have scored four goals in a Europa League match since the famous 4-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund in February 2022.
The hosts were fortunate not to fall behind within the opening few minutes when David Miculescu dispossessed keeper Jack Butland and tapped home for what he thought was an early breakthrough. But the former England international’s blushes were saved as referee Marco Di Bello ruled the goal out for a foul on the Gers No.1.
However, it was Lawrence who broke the deadlock after 10 minutes when he curled home a precise finish from the edge of the box. And it was two just after the half-hour mark when the lively Cerny - who assisted Lawrence for the opener - found the bottom corner with his weaker right-foot after winning back possession deep inside the visitors half.
The Wolfsburg loanee added to his tally for the evening shortly after the break when he rounded off a quick counter-attack by guiding the ball beyond the keeper. And substitute Igamane opened his account for the club when he found space in the box to steer his effort into the far corner.
FCSB lacked a creative spark in the final third, with their only clear-cut opportunity of the second half falling to Alexandru Musi who flashed a shot inches over the crossbar. Butland was also called into action in the closing stages to produce a sprawling save at his near post but this was a case of job done for Clement’s men on a comfortable night.
Here’s how we rated the Rangers players at Ibrox:
5. Jefte - 7/10
Pretty solid all-round. Strong in the tackle and worked extremely hard. | SNS Group
6. Connor Barron - 8/10
Much more like it. Very energetic and helped to dictate the play. Always looking to play forward. Gave the ball away a few times but also won back possession to make up for it. Contributed heavily to Igamane's goal late on. | AFP via Getty Images
7. Nicolas Raskin - 8/10
Formed a strong partnership with Barron. Long-range effort in the first-half helped shift the momentum in Rangers favour. Carried out his defensive duties well and brought more balance to the midfield. | Getty Images
8. Tom Lawrence - 6/10
A positive showing from the Welshman. Netted his fifth goal of the season to open the scoring from edge of the box. Worked hard but faded out the game a bit and was forced off with a knock at half-time. | AFP via Getty Images