Rangers had to expect this after fighting above their weight in the Europa League for so long
A swing and a miss to dampen expectations for what may be achievable in this year’s redesigned tournament.
If an opening-night victory over Malmo was viewed as an unexpected but welcome bonus, Philippe Clement’s side has dropped back to the middle of the pack as the league round begins.
While the conclusion was not entirely unexpected, the way in which Rangers were decimated was upsetting to those there.
At times, Clement’s guys were simply outplayed by a slick Lyon team. A defence that had not conceded a goal in four games conceded three in the first half alone, and it could have been many more. Only the visitors’ efforts to walk the ball into the net in the second period kept the score low.
Although the Belgian could not fault his team for their effort and application, the truth is that they were second best in every aspect.
They briefly leveled through Tom Lawrence as the French found their groove, but this served as a sharp reminder of the ruthlessness of the game at this level.
After a promising few weeks for the manager following a humiliating defeat at Celtic Park, this was a sharp reminder of the enormity of the task at hand.
Clement warned on Wednesday that anyone who underestimated Lyon because of a mediocre couple of years was doing so at their own risk. How correct he was.
Deep down, the Belgian knew his team would be in trouble if the French put a stumbling start to the season behind them, and that’s exactly how it turned out.
An expensively assembled foreign team possessed simply too much power, pace, and talent for the Scots. Their thought and movement speeds were significantly different. Rangers were soundly defeated and grateful for the final score.
Once Lyon got going, there was no way they’d join the ranks of Porto, Feyenoord, and RB Leipzig as teams who had been defeated at this iconic arena in recent years.
Rangers’ tired legs will do well to recover in time for their match against St Johnstone on Sunday.
With Tottenham, Manchester United, and Union Saint-Gilloise posing a difficult final stretch in this competition, the Ibrox men must do some heavy lifting in their upcoming matches against Steaua Bucharest, Olympiacos, and Nice. On this evidence, that might be easier said than done.
Clement’s claim that the French club was financially in a ‘different world’ was difficult to refute.
Moussa Niakhate, their record acquisition for £27 million, started on the bench. Earnest Nuamah, their second most expensive player at £24 million, offered him company.
Their starting lineup featured a number of notable names. Former Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette, ex-Chelsea and Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic, and Corentin Tolisso, who previously played for Bayern Munich. Nicolas Tagliafico of Argentina was their left-back and a World Cup winner.
Their youthful guns weren’t terrible either, with Rayan Cherki and Malick Fofana rumored to be the next big things for the French and Belgian national teams. Both were captivating here.
Once Lyon got rolling, there was no chance they’d follow Porto, Feyenoord, and RB Leipzig as recent defeats at this historic venue.
Rangers’ fatigued legs will do well to recover in time for their showdown against St Johnstone this Sunday.
With Tottenham, Manchester United, and Union Saint-Gilloise providing a challenging final stretch in this competition, the Ibrox men will need to work hard in their remaining games against Steaua Bucharest, Olympiacos, and Nice. On this evidence, it may be easier said than done.
While Clement paid £3.4 million to recruit Nedim Bajrami this summer, the funding gap was significant.
The Albanian was reinstated with Mohamed Diomande and Cyriel Dessers.
As European football returned from a brief hiatus at Hampden, Ibrox was far from full capacity. For all the talk about money, Clement’s team should have gone ahead here before Lyon could draw breath.
Lawrence’s attempt was saved by Lucas Perri, and the ball fell well for Vaclav Cerny. Even accounting for the fact that the winger was off balance, his mistake from six yards was astonishing.
Lyon took full advantage of the situation within two minutes. A superb play involving Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Cherki resulted in Jack Butland initially rejecting Lacazette’s effort.
Clement’s team’s lack of concentration as the French returned was worrying. Fofana scored in the far corner with a right footed shot.
Lyon did not do well defensively. James Tavernier could have put the home side ahead within three minutes when the ball broke to him off Lawrence, and the French backline moved like mannequins.
This weakness encouraged the hosts, even after they had fallen behind.
Jefte’s surge up the left sparked their comeback barely four minutes later.
Cerny had terrible control of the Brazilian’s cross. Tolisso’s header attempt to locate his goalkeeper was dangerous. Dessers attempted to pounce but was prevented by Perri, allowing Lawrence to keep his cool.
Clement called for calm. There’s some hope. Connor Barron has been excellent since joining from Aberdeen, but he had a terrible moment when he went blind with a pass, and the French took advantage.
Fofana moved into the box, bobbed and weaved, and considered his choices. His mind was made up the moment Lacazette emerged to his right. The forward finished superbly, going back across Butland’s goal. Rangers had now conceded two goals in ten minutes, following four consecutive clean sheets.
Fofana was an unplayable left winger at times. He accelerated past Barron and Robin Propper with ease. Rangers were once again grateful to Butland for making a crucial stop.
Rangers had their moments, too, as guests began to weave some beautiful patterns. Cerny fizzed one on the wrong side of the upright as the interval loomed.
However, they would not make it up the tunnel without surrendering again. Lyon’s third was nothing short of spectacular.
After a quick throw-in, Fofana shielded the ball from Tavernier and passed it to Cherki. The midfielder displayed incredible technique to wriggle himself out of a tight place before picking up Lacazette. His finish from the edge of the box was incredible, with power and swerve rendering Butland a bystander.
There was little to indicate that we would witness the most unexpected of comebacks. After ten minutes of the second half, even the most enthusiastic home supporter dismissed
Cherki teased Barron with a pair of step-overs to create space for a cross. With pinpoint accuracy, it allowed Fofana to score his second with a tap-in at the far post.
Neraysho Kasanwirjo, an early replacement for Tavernier, cleared Tolisso’s header off the line after Duje Caleta-Car hit the crossbar.
The game was over, but Rangers were still looking for a consolation. Perri made a stunning one-handed save to keep substitute Kieran Dowell at bay.
In the blink of an eye, Fofana was denied a hat-trick by five more saves from Butland. By that point, the final whistle couldn’t come soon enough.
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