Is there anything more unstoppable than Rangers after the Europa League anthem has been blared out on a Thursday night?
Despite their continued turbulent domestic form, the Ibrox side are now on the cusp of the quarter-finals on the continent, following a 3-1 victory over Fenerbahçe at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.
When winning the first leg away from home, the Gers have won all 21 two-legged European ties they’ve ever played, so supporters will surely fancy their chances of getting through, thereby setting up a last eight clash with Athletic Club or Roma.
While Jack Butland made a few smart stops, Mohamed Diomande was stupendous and fellow-midfielder Nicolas Raskin’s performance was described as “unbelievable” by Rangers legend Ally McCoist, during TNT Sports’ commentary, it’s the Light Blues’ attackers who deserve to be spotlighted.
Václav Černý the star against Mourinho
Václav Černý was certainly the star of Thursday night’s victory in İstanbul, scoring twice.
The Czechia international restored Rangers’ advantage on the cusp of half time, slotting past İrfan Can Eğribayat after some neat link-up play with Cyriel Dessers, before also scoring the crucial third nine minutes from the end, having been perfectly played in by Raskin on the counter-attack.
Černý’s performances for Rangers have been described as “outstanding” while, as former Rangers striker Kris Boyd put it on Sky Sports: “where would Rangers be if it wasn’t for him”?
Having previously netted against Steaua București twice, Nice and Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, Černý has now scored six goals in UEFA competition this season, so let’s see how that compares to Rangers players of the past.
Václav Černý
2024/25
6
James Tavernier
2021/22
7
Alfredo Morelos
2021/22
6
James Tavernier
2020/21
5
Alfredo Morelos
2020/21
5
Alfredo Morelos
2019/20
14
On top of this, Černý’s tally of eight goals and assists combined in this season’s Europa League is second only to Rayan Cherki of Lyon.
Along similar lines, the Gers’ total of 11 goals on the road is the second-most in the competition, behind Olympique Lyonnais, four of which came at Ibrox in October.
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However, another Rangers attacker deserves some rare praise too.
Rangers star enjoys his best night for the club
Scottish Football analyst John Walker believes Thursday’s victory featured Cyriel Dessers’ “best match for Rangers”, adding that he put in a man of the match performance up front.
The Nigerian striker – who earned a 9/10 rating from the Scotsman – broke the deadlock inside six minutes, rounding the goalkeeper before his shot, just about, crept over the line.
That was despite the best efforts of Çağlar Söyüncü, as referee Alejandro Hernández Hernández’s watch flashed up that it was a goal, much to the delight of those who’d travelled from Glasgow.
Dessers then also set up the Gers’ second, with an inch-perfect reverse pass to tee-up Černý, before having not one but two goals disallowed in the second half for very marginal offsides; if he was a size five, he’d have had a hat-trick.
As Jonathan Wilson of the Guardian puts it, Dessers ‘divides fans’, but Gavin Berry and Andy MacKay of the Daily Record described the striker’s performance as ‘superb’, with the Nigerian having taken his tally to 22 goals for the season, four of which have come under Barry Ferguson.
If that praise wasn’t enough, then we’ll hand over to Mr Mourinho, who said that the enigmatic striker “looked like the best player in the world” on Thursday evening.
Many were surprised that Dessers got the nod over Hamza Igamane in attack, but Ferguson was certainly vindicated in his decision, with Mark Atkinson of the Scotsman stating that the win was a tactical ‘triumph’ for the coach.
Speaking of the interim Rangers boss, this was his first involvement in a European match since leading his club out in Manchester for the UEFA Cup Final of 2008 against Zenit Saint Petersburg, the occasion of his 400th appearance for the club, and what a victory for him, with Černý and Dessers spearheading the Light Blues to victory on the Asian side of the Bosporus Strait.
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