Rangers Fall Short in Europa League Against Ferencvaros

Danny Rohl’s Rangers struggled once again in the Europa League, suffering a 2-1 defeat against Ferencvaros in Budapest.

Match Summary

Rangers’ forward Bojan Miovski opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a stunning acrobatic effort, marking the visitors’ first attempt on target. However, their lead was short-lived as Bence Otvos equalized for Robbie Keane’s team during injury time at the end of the first half, taking advantage of a lapse in the Ibrox side’s defense.

In the second half, Rangers displayed a lack of attacking initiative and conceded again in the 73rd minute when Ferencvaros striker Barnabás Varga headed in easily from close range, effectively putting the visitors out of contention in the tournament.

Rohl has shown impressive form domestically, securing five wins in seven matches in the William Hill Premiership since taking over for Russell Martin. However, the European campaign has left much to be desired, with Rangers collecting just one point from their last four games in the competition while managing only one point from six group matches.

Key Moments

The game began with a missed opportunity for the home side. In the third minute, attacker Bamidele Yusuf broke through the Rangers defense but squandered his shot, sending it wide.

Rangers gradually settled into the match but faced another scare in the 18th minute when goalkeeper Jack Butland misjudged a high ball during a corner kick, allowing Toon Raemaekers to send a shot wide from twelve yards out.

Ferencvaros gained momentum but were stunned by a brilliant moment from Miovski, whose spectacular hitch kick from close range followed an attempt by Danilo to connect with a cross from Max Aarons. The goal went through after a VAR review confirmed its legitimacy, much to the delight of the Rangers supporters.

Shortly thereafter, Yusuf narrowly missed the target, hitting the side-netting after receiving a clever pass from Otvos. Just as it seemed Rangers would head into halftime ahead, Otvos delivered a cut-back that found captain Ibrahim Cisse, whose deflected shot caught Butland off guard and found the net.

Second Half Analysis

In the 50th minute, Rangers’ defense came under threat again, but a remarkable recovery tackle from Nasser Djiga stopped Varga before he could fire at goal, allowing Rangers to clear the corner.

As the match progressed, Rangers made several substitutions to bolster their attack, with Dujon Sterling returning from a long-term injury along with Mikey Moore and Findlay Curtis. Youssef Chermiti also came on for Miovski.

Despite these changes, Ferencvaros maintained their dominance and took the lead when Callum O’Dowda delivered a cross that Varga converted with a free header, unchallenged by Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez.

In the closing stages, Curtis had a solid attempt saved by Ferencvaros goalkeeper David Grof, but Rangers were unable to mount any significant attack, leading to a disappointing exit from the competition.