October 03, (THEWILL) – Rangers were inflicted with some significant setbacks in their UEFA Europa League campaign on Thursday, falling to a 4-1 defeat against Olympique Lyonnais at Ibrox. The result marks only the second home loss for Rangers in 18 group-stage matches in the competition.
The match began with promise for the Scottish side, as James Tavernier’s early volley tested Lyon goalkeeper Lucas Perri. However, a missed opportunity by Vaclav Cerny proved costly when Malick Fofana opened the scoring for Lyon shortly after. Tom Lawrence briefly levelled the score for Rangers, capitalising on a defensive error, but the French team quickly regained control.
Alexandre Lacazette restored Lyon’s lead before half-time, taking advantage of a misplaced pass by Connor Barron. The former Arsenal striker then extended the visitors’ advantage with a spectacular long-range effort just before the break. In the second half, Fofana added a fourth goal for Lyon, completing a comprehensive victory for the French side.
The defeat ends Rangers’ recent four-game winning streak and raises questions about their European prospects. For Lyon, the result extends their unbeaten away run in the Europa League to eight matches, firmly establishing them as contenders in the competition. The performance will likely boost confidence within the Lyon camp as they continue their European campaign.
This result follows another disappointing night for Scottish football in European competitions, coming just two days after Celtic’s 7-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League. The outcomes of both matches highlight the challenges faced by Scottish clubs on the continental stage and may prompt discussions about the competitiveness of Scottish teams in European football.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
