Rangers made a storming begin to their Europa League marketing campaign with a 2-0 win over Malmo in Sweden which ought to have been extra emphatic.
Midfielder Nedim Bajrami scored his first aim for the Ibrox membership in lower than a minute and Philippe Clement’s aspect handed up a number of probabilities so as to add a second earlier than the interval.
The Swedish champions, who had not misplaced to Rangers in 4 earlier conferences in Champions League qualifiers, piled stress on after the break however nonetheless the Scottish aspect missed probabilities so as to add to their lead earlier than substitute Ross McCausland fired in an outstanding second within the 76th minute to seal the win.
It was the most important check for the Ibrox outfit since they misplaced 3-0 to Celtic at first of the month and so they got here by way of with flying colors.
Clement’s aspect can take confidence into their Scottish Premiership recreation in opposition to Hibernian on Sunday, dwell on Sky Sports activities, earlier than they host French aspect Lyon subsequent week within the second of eight Europa League fixtures.
How Rangers beat Malmo
Bajrami scored his first aim for Rangers in Sweden on his European debut for the membership
Earlier than the sport Clement needed to wrestle with choice dilemmas.
With Jefte suspended and Ridvan Yilmaz amongst a clutch of injured gamers, 22-year-old Dutch defender Neraysho Kasanwirjo, on mortgage from Feyenoord, was handed his first begin at left-back, whereas midfielder Mohamed Diomande took over from Dujon Sterling.
Malmo, eight factors clear on the prime of the Swedish desk and seemingly on their strategy to title No 24, had been surprised to go behind so early.
Cyriel Dessers latched on to a slack move again from defender Gabriel Busanello and rounded ‘keeper Johan Dahlin solely to see his shot from a decent angle hit the submit however Albania worldwide Bajrami, signed from Italian aspect Sassuolo in the summertime, was following up and knocked the ball in to the empty web.
The aim rattled the house aspect however they quickly bought to grips with their process.
Within the 18th minute Malmo striker Isaac Kiese Thelin, prime scorer within the Swedish prime flight, knocked in a free-kick from Sergio Pena however the offside flag was immediately raised.
Dahlin needed to save a Bajrami drive earlier than Dessers miscontrolled contained in the field at an important second.
5 minutes earlier than the break Bajrami despatched wide-man Vaclav Cerny racing clear on aim however the Gers attacker missed the goal along with his unconvincing shot.
Vaclav Cerny spurned a wonderful likelihood for Rangers at 1-0
Bajrami’s drive from 20 yards moments later was rather more highly effective and drew a superb save from Dahlin, though, in one other Rangers break, the Albanian returned a move to Dessers when he ought to have gotten a shot away.
The Govan aspect had been put underneath intense stress at first of the second half by Henrik Rydstrom’s outfit however nonetheless Gers goalkeeper Jack Butland was well-protected.
Within the 58th minute Malmo skipper Anders Christiansen ballooned a shot over the bar from 12 yards, hinting that it could possibly be Rangers’ night time.
An acrobatic effort on the different finish from Dessers following a Cerny free-kick had Dahlin scrambling to avoid wasting however Portuguese referee Luis Godinho blew for an infringement.
McCausland celebrates his aim doubling Rangers’ lead
Winger McCausland changed the tiring Cerny within the 69th minute earlier than Dessers raced away from the Malmo defence and cleared the bar with a careless end.
Nevertheless, Northern Eire worldwide McCausland was unerring in his 20-yard drive, the ball skipping in off the submit earlier than he and the remainder of the Gers gamers raced to the nook to take the acclaim of the travelling supporters.
There was time for Kasanwirjo to slam a shot over the bar with solely Dahlin to beat but it surely was a scoreline Rangers would have accepted with gratitude earlier than kick-off.
