Rangers returned to winning ways with an emphatic Europa League victory over Steaua Bucharest at Ibrox.
Vaclav Cerny’s double and strikes from Tom Lawrence and Hamza Igamane secured a much-needed group stage win against the Romanians. And it eased the pressure on boss Philippe Clement following their Premiership defeat to Kilmarnock on Sunday. Gers now sit on six points in the Europa League, with an away tie against Olympiakos up next in November.
Clement needed a response from his side after their woeful 1-0 loss at Rugby Park. And this game was virtually wrapped up after 45 minutes. Steaua had a goal harshly ruled out early on for a foul on keeper Jack Butland. But after that, the Ibrox men took control and Lawrence’s scuffed shot from a Cerny cut-back crept in to put them ahead.
The Czech winger then got in on the act, pouncing on a Steaua mistake to curl home a magnificent second goal. Rangers put the game to bed after the interval, with Cerny slotting home a superb solo effort to make it 3-0 before sub Igamane notched his first for the club.
That was proven here as Rangers grafted their way to a deserved Europa League win. At Kilmarnock on Sunday, Clement’s team lacked passion, desire, intensity and hunger. And by suddenly upping those levels against Steaua and playing with a bit of energy, they got their rewards. It’s not rocket science. With the home crowd behind them, they pressurised the Romanians into mistakes and took full advantage. Clement’s side didn’t produce a brilliant brand of football, despite some fantastic goals. But they worked their backsides off from the first whistle and played with an urgency that was sadly lacking in Ayrshire. They got back to basics here and it paid dividends for them.
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