Glasgow Rangers delivered one of their finest away European performances in midweek as they brought a 3-1 advantage over Fenerbahçe back to Ibrox for the second leg.
It could have easily been 5-1, but Cyriel Dessers had two goals ruled out for offside. Despite this, it was a tremendous performance in Turkey.
The Ibrox side came into the game on the back of three back-to-back defeats at home for the first time since 2012. These losses to Queen’s Park, St Mirren and Motherwell saw the Gers score just a single goal.
Not much hope was given to the Glasgow side ahead of the clash against José Mourinho’s side, but fair play to Barry Ferguson as he outmanoeuvred the wily old fox tactically.
Mohamed Diomande and Nicolas Raskin ran the show from the heart of the midfield, being central to everything positive that happened for the Gers, while Leon Balogun was a rock alongside John Souttar at the back.
Even Jack Butland, who has come under some fire of late due to a series of poor displays, largely kept the home side at bay with a few good saves during the match.
It was Vaclav Cerny who shone the most for Ferguson’s side, however, yet again displaying his class on the continental stage.
Vaclav Cerny’s incredible display vs Fenerbahçe.
Prior to the clash, Cerny had scored 15 goals and grabbed seven assists in all competitions for the Gers, proving himself to be an excellent loan signing.
He tends to save his best football for European competition and this was the case against the Turkish side on Thursday evening.
His two goals were extremely well taken. The first was a left-footed effort following a stunning pass from Dessers, while the Czech winger raced onto a through ball by Raskin to calmly slot home the killer third goal for Rangers.
He also attempted two dribbles and delivered a cross, but his impact in the final third, always looking to get on the end of through balls in order to score and he was duly rewarded against Fenerbahçe.
There have been a few games where he has failed to contribute, but in the big matches, Cerny comes to life and proves his worth.
It is a pity the winger is only on loan, as this type of talent isn’t found too often, that’s for sure. Over the last few seasons, Rangers have had a few players on loan at the club who have shone before going onto bigger and better things.
Malik Tillman starred during the 2022/23 campaign, and now he has 15 goal contributions in all competitions for PSV Eindhoven this season.
Abdallah Sima is another one who performed well for Rangers during his loan spell last season. He shone for Brest in the Champions League earlier this season during his temporary spell with the Ligue 1 side.
Where Are They Now
Could the Light Blues have had a chance of signing him on a permanent deal, however?
Rangers already had a bigger talent than Cerny
Ahead of the 2023/24 season, Michael Beale secured the services of Sima on a loan deal from Brighton and Hove Albion and it didn’t take long for him to prove his worth.
Awkward to play against, the left-winger enjoyed plenty of success in Scotland, eventually going on to score 16 goals and registering two assists for the Gers throughout the entire season, despite missing 18 games due to an injury.
It was a scintillating season, and who knows what the club could have achieved had he been fit for those games? This led to discussions about his future and whether it lay in Glasgow.
After the season finished and Sima returned to his parent club, Clement confirmed that he had been in contact with the player, saying: “I’ve been in touch with him, of course,” Clement says. “He’s like one of my sons. Abda loves the club. Abda loves the way of playing we had last season and his role in that. He loved his teammates and the staff.”
The “electric” star – as dubbed by captain James Tavernier – was valued at around £8m by the south coast side during the summer transfer window, which represented a stumbling block for Clement.
Goals
11
Assists
2
Shots per game
2.9
Big chances created
2
Successful dribbles per game
1.2
Key passes per game
0.8
Indeed, he ended up joining Brest on a temporary move until the end of the current season. If he did join permanently, he could have been an even bigger talent than Cerny, without a shadow of a doubt.
What Abdallah Sima has done since leaving Rangers
The left-winger has carried on the form he displayed at Rangers during his time in France. Indeed, across 32 games for the club, Sima has netted eight goals and recorded two assists in all competitions.
It was his form in the Champions League which got people talking. He scored three goals in nine appearances, which included a double against RB Salzburg in the group stage.
Averaging 1.8 shots per game and creating two big chances for his teammates in the competition suggests he wasn’t fazed by the step-up to performing in the biggest club competition in Europe.
It has been yet another successful loan move for the Senegal international. The question is, will this form convince Fabian Hurzeler at Brighton that he deserves a berth in the first-team squad next term?
If he continues to score and perform well, the least he deserves is a chance. Rangers missed the boat last summer. He may have broken the bank, but aged just 23, Sima has plenty of years to reach his peak, which could have seen the Light Blues make a profit on him.
Cerny has stepped up and showcased his class, but a similar situation will occur when he departs this summer, especially as there are likely to be other clubs chasing his signature when the window opens in a few months.
Falling for a loan star. It’s enough to break your heart when they leave.
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