Manager Philippe Clement is urging his Rangers team to “build habits, connections, and consistency” after they bounced back from Sunday’s disappointing loss at Kilmarnock with a spirited four-goal Europa League triumph over FCSB.
Ahead of the match, the Belgian manager emphasized that “it’s not just about the reaction, but about the performance”—and he got both, following a week of intense scrutiny, in Rangers’ most decisive European victory since 2007.
Vaclav Cerny delivered a standout performance, assisting Tom Lawrence’s opener and scoring two impressive goals himself, before Hamza Igamane capped off the commanding win with his first goal for the club.
“We were all sick of losing,” Clement said. “Everybody was disappointed about Sunday and we wanted to stand up altogether.
“I still see a lot of things we can improve on, but I’m happy everybody can see there’s potential in this squad. We need time to connect everything together.
“I’m looking forward to the future with this squad. It’s about creating habits, connections and consistency. We’re going to work hard on that.”
Despite growing dissatisfaction among fans after the weekend’s disappointing defeat, the home crowd in Govan showed strong support.
Their optimism was quickly challenged, however, when David Miculescu dispossessed a hesitant Jack Butland and seemingly scored an opener, only for the referee to call a foul, sparing the goalkeeper’s blushes.
This early scare didn’t rattle Clement’s side, who capitalized on their energetic start. Tom Lawrence curled in a goal from the edge of the box after questionable goalkeeping. Minutes later, Cerny doubled the lead, winning the ball in the final third and striking a superb shot into the far corner with his weaker foot.
In the second half, Cerny struck again, finishing off a sweeping counter-attack with a composed goal. Substitute Hamza Igamane added a fourth, netting his first for Rangers with a well-placed shot after a few stepovers.
FCSB, Romania’s fifth-ranked side, posed some danger through Siyabonga Ngezana while the score stood at 1-0, but they were largely outplayed.
The only drawbacks for Clement were injuries to midfielder Lawrence, who exited at halftime with a possible knee injury, and to Cyriel Dessers and Leon Balogun in the second half. Rangers now hold 11th place in the 36-team table.
Clement’s changes pay off in much-needed reaction
Midfielder Nico Raskin and defender Leon Balogun returned to the Rangers lineup, replacing Mohamed Diomande and Robin Propper, who struggled in Sunday’s loss at Rugby Park.
The switch paid off, as Raskin’s relentless energy — described by former Rangers winger Neil McCann on BBC Sportsound as that of a “man possessed” — was key to Rangers’ aggressive opening.
At 36, Balogun remains perhaps Clement’s most reliable center-back, showing composure in the defense until his substitution in the second half.
Although Cerny has faced criticism for inconsistent performances, he once again showed his potential to impact games with standout moments.
Meanwhile, Hamza Igamane, who completed seven more touches than Dessers despite only entering in the 57th minute, displayed promising offensive skill and could become a key option if he finds his rhythm.
With six points from their first three matches, Rangers have laid a solid foundation, though tougher European challenges await in the remaining five league-phase games.
What they said
Rangers manager Philippe Clement: “It’s about creating this more consistently. I’d have loved points against Lyon, but I think we’re on track in Europe.
“[Cerny] has all my confidence. He’s not only a really good player but someone who is working hard for the team. I want to see more and moreover the next weeks.
“We need to create much more hunger to get better and better.”
Rangers captain James Tavernier: “It’s obviously important to get the reaction after the weekend. A performance to build on.
“I thought Connor [Barron] and Nicolas [Raskin] were really strong in midfield. They controlled the tempo in there and that pushed us up as a team.
“Vaclav [Cerny] coming inside and getting a couple of goals, I’m really happy for him.”
Match stats
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This was the first time Rangers have won a major European match by four goals since beating Hapoel Tel Aviv 4-0 in the Uefa Cup in February 2007.
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FCSB have now lost each of their last eight matches against UK opposition (including qualifiers) by a combined scoreline of 24-2, conceding three or more goals in six of those eight matches.
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Cerny became only the second Rangers player to have a hand in three or more goals in a single Europa League match (two goals, one assist) and the first since Alfredo Morelos (v Royal Antwerp) in February 2021.
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Rangers attempted 15 shots in the first half, which is the most they have ever managed in the opening 45 minutes of a Europa League match.
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James Tavernier made his 54th appearance in major European competition for Rangers, moving him level with Steven Davis. Only Allan McGregor (78), John Greig (62) and Barry Ferguson (60) have made more.
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After netting one goal across his first six European matches for Rangers, Lawrence has now scored in back-to-back games (v FCSB and Lyon). All three of those goals have come in the opening 15 minutes of matches.