Rangers left their domestic struggles at home to record one of their best ever European results with a 4-1 thrashing of French side Nice.
And the stunning victory at the Allianz Riviera temporarily eased some of the pressure on Philippe Clement as he enjoyed some home comforts in the region where he once lived while in charge of Monaco.
Clement was justified in his decision to hand Hamza Igamane a start over Cyriel Dessers – who missed an absolute sitter late on after coming on as a sub – as the Moroccan bagged goals in either half after the opener from Vaclav Cerny and a second from Mohamed Diomande. The travelling fans were in dreamland in the French Riviera with Badredine Bouanani’s stunning free kick nothing more than a consolation and Rangers now sit on 10 points in the new-look Europa League and well on course to progress with three games to go.
It was a lively start with Cerny not far away with an effort for the visitors early on before Algerian international Bouanani sent a brilliant attempt just off target.
Then there was huge drama early on when Spanish referee Ricardo de Burgos pointed to the spot to award the home side a penalty but it was unclear what it was for with THREE potential incidents – handball against John Souttar and Dujon Sterling and then a Connor Barron challenge – but neither looked convincing and after being called to the monitor he overturned his decision.
It was a let-off for Rangers and yet they could have made the most of it when moments later they broke away with Nedim Bajrami slipping in Hamza Igamane who was in the clear but the Moroccan dithered and Issiago Camara got back to recover. Jefte then had a long range effort that was a whisker away.
The game was wide open but it was Rangers who grabbed control with two goals in three minutes to put them in dreamland. Dujon Sterling was involved as he clipped the ball into the box and Igamane did brilliantly to win possession and lay it off to Cerny whose shot found the net, albeit via the help of a couple of deflections.
Sterling was involved again for the second as he sent a ball in for Dioxane and Pablo Rosario misjudged it as he let the ball sail over his head and Marcin Bulka was all at sea as he came off his line and Diomande stabbed it home.
Gaetan Laborde went close with a header at the other end but it was all Rangers and they got a third before the break. But there was more calamitous defending from Nice with Igamane latching onto a horror passback before rounding the keeper and slotting into an empty net. The Moroccan then completed his brace 10 minutes into the second half with a fine finish but again capitalising on woeful defending. Bouanani sent a brilliant free kick beyond Jack Butland late on to give the home fans a little cheer but Dessers should have made it five with an awful miss.
Here’s five talkings points from the Allianz Riviera…
Jekyll & Hyde Gers
Yet again the Ibrox side have produced a huge result in Europe and it just makes their domestic struggles all the more unfathomable. How can a team trailing by 11 points in the Scottish Premiership, and who turned in one of their worst performances in the first half of a dire draw against Dundee United at Ibrox on Saturday, turn in a display like this against the fifth placed side in Ligue 1? It might only delay the inevitable for Philippe Clement but he must be scratching his head at the contrast between domestic and European displays. They scored more goals in the first half in the Allianz Riviera than combined on the road in the Premiership!
Hurrah Hamza
Cyriel Dessers has frustrated the life out of Rangers fans and perhaps now the manager who finally dropped the enigmatic striker and Philippe Clement put his faith in young Moroccan Hamza Igamane in what was a huge night for the 22-year-old – and what a decision that proved to be.
The youngster had a great chance early on when the visitors broke upfield with Nedim Bajrami slipping the ball through to him but rather than take it first time he was indecisive and that allowed Nice defender Issiago Camara to get back and cover.
The opportunity was so similar to the type that Dessers has had in the light blue of Rangers and hasn’t been clinical enough. From a three versus one counter attack, it was criminal not to get a shot away but to be fair he turned that around and played a big role in the opening goal and then grabbed a double and substitute Dessers missed a sitter late on as a reminder of why he started on the bench.
VAR-ce
Referee Ricardo de Burgos was involved in Rangers controversy before. He was on VAR when the Light Blues played Borussia Dortmund at Ibrox in the second leg of their Europa League knockout tie and he invited the whistler on the night to the monitor after Ryan Kent had scored – with the goal ruled out for a foul by Alfredo Morelos in the build up. That decision was slammed at the time and the Spaniard, this time the man in the middle, was at the centre of more controversy here. He pointed to the spot early on to award Nice a penalty but it wasn’t clear for what. There were two potential handballs – John Souttar and Dujon Sterling – but neither were guilty and then he appeared to be looking at a possible foul by Connor Barron but that was also ruled out before the decision was overturned.
French lesson
It’s now seven unbeaten on the road in Europe for Philippe Clement and that equals the Scottish record set under Steven Gerrard which culminated with a 1-1 draw against Slavia Prague in the Czech Republic.
And Rangers have a hugely impressive record in France as they are now five unbeaten there, a run stretching back to 1997 when they lost to Strasbourg. Included in that run are wins and a draw against Lyon and a draw with PSG.
Not such Nice defending
As good as this stunning away victory in Europe was – and there’s no doubting it was with the scoreline – it has to be said that the hosts were the architects of their own downfall at times. The defending was woeful on occasions which gave the Light Blues a helping hand and it’s hard to believe they are sitting fifth in Ligue 1 and on a eight-game unbeaten run domestically. But on this is evidence it is easier to see why they were winless in the Europa League.