Rangers struggle but progress in Champions League
Vikroria Plzen 2 – 1 Rangers (Rangers win 4-2 on aggregate) Durosinmi (41′), Markovic (83′) Cameron (60′) Rangers are just one step away from the Champions League but they certainly made hard work of it as Viktoria Plzen secured a 2-1 home win, which wasn’t enough for them in the end. It was a complete contrast to last week’s swashbuckling 3-0 home win over the Czech side, but they got the job done. That’s really about the only positive to take from it, in all honesty. Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Dundee was not the ideal preparation as Russell Martin recalled captain James Tavernier and Nico Raskin in midfield, with Max Aarons and Joe Rothwell stepping out. There was a slight injury scare as Cyriel Dessers needed treatment on a wrist injury, but was fine to continue. More importantly, despite perhaps bracing themselves for an onslaught from Plzen, you would have imagined keen to close the gap, it really didn’t materialise. The pace of the game was ponderous at times as the Czech side seemed to lack urgency in spite of their predicament and Rangers didn’t need to do anything silly. Lukáš Červ tested Gers keeper Jack Butland with a fierce effort to remind the Ibrox men they weren’t going away yet. A penalty claim from Dessers shortly after fell on deaf ears. Prince Adu got the better of Tavernier at one point and it was another scary moment as the ball went wide. Plzen took the lead four minutes before the break with Jefte tangling himself up as he tried to keep up with Amar Memic. He nicely teed up Rafiu Durosinmi who buried his chance and the aggregate was reduced to two. Rangers were rocked and returned to the dressing room at half time needing a breather. Memic went close five minutes after the restart as Plzen smelled blood in the water while Prince Adu’s header needed Butland to deal with it. Dessers went off injured with a possible knee problem, where he was replaced by Danilo, but Rangers’ more pressing concerns were at the other end as the home side pushed them. They alleviated those fears when Lyall Cameron opened his Gers account, poking home Danilo’s attempt and the three-goal cushion was restored. In a poor performance, it was a little bit of something that the Ibrox men needed and seemed to take the wind out of Plzen’s sails after their valiant attempts to try and claw the momentum back. Prince Adu forced another great save from Butland as the Czech outfit continued to knock on the door, with the Englishman on hand shortly after to deal with Milan Havel’s header. Despite his heroics, Butland could do nothing about Svetozar Markovic’s header to bring Plzen to within two again with seven minutes to go. Suddenly, Rangers were starting to feel nervous again. They got over the line eventually, but they sure made hard work of it. Play like that against Club Brugge and they can forget about a run out with the big boys. Martin has much to do before he can even entertain that possibility.
SPFL Weekly – Matchday 2: Five Talking Points
Hearts served up a pulsating finale at Tannadice, while Rangers faltered with an unchanged side at home to Dundee. Elsewhere, concerns mounted for the goalless Aberdeen and St Mirren, Livingston claimed promotion bragging rights, and Kilmarnock fought back to frustrate Hibs. While BBC Sportscene marked its 50th birthday with a special edition on Saturday — and a welcome return for presenter Dougie Donnelly — they brought the weekend’s action to the small screen. But while they show it, here’s our take on the big talking points from Matchday 2 of the 2025/26 SPFL season. Set-Piece Heaven: Findlay and Grant Lead the Way Stuart Findlay. Take a bow. Fresh from scoring the second against Aberdeen last week, he delivered again. This time, in dramatic fashion, heading a last-minute winner at Tannadice to keep Hearts top. Not to mention his part in the other goals, he won the penalty for Lawrence Shankland and nodded in the equaliser too. His heroics also spared Zander Clark’s blushes after mistakes in both Dundee United goals, prompting the ‘keeper to sprint the length of the pitch at full-time to celebrate with his saviour. Cheers, Stu. The Jambos began with Alan Forrest at right wing-back but struggled to make inroads down that side — a sharp contrast to the hosts’ stand-in wing-back, Ivan Dolček, who struck twice. Most of Hearts’ threat came down the left, where Harry Milne thrived in the final third, linking superbly with the attack. James Penrice, who? It will concern Dundee United that all three goals they conceded came from set pieces, with former staff member Ross Grant — now Hearts’ set-piece coach — returning to haunt them. Squad depth at wing-back is also an issue, mirroring Hearts’ problems in that area, though Dolček impressed in his stint on the right. Derek McInnes again showed his tactical acumen, reshaping his side at half-time to address their problems on the right. Moving Michael Steinwinder to right-back and Alexandros Kyziridis to right midfield helped nullify the threat of Dolček. However, a move for a new right-back and a goalkeeper after Clark’s recent woes could also be on the cards. United is still in the early stages of rebuilding after a busy summer. Still, signs of promise are already there with Dolček and marquee signing Amar Fateh returning from injury. Their immediate focus is on Europe, with a credible away result against Rapid Vienna setting up a big night at Tannadice. Victory would move them closer to the group stage and the potential £5m windfall it brings. With momentum building over the past two years, Jim Goodwin is now discussing a new contract. Rejoice! As for Hearts, Tony Bloom’s bold prediction of a title challenge within the next decade might be closer than many think… Dee-Light at Ibrox as Dundee Rattle Rangers For the first time in 36 years, Rangers have opened a league season without a win in either of their first two games, and Russell Martin is still waiting for his first Premiership victory as head coach. Russell Martin admitted last week his side didn’t deserve a point — and, arguably, they didn’t here either, despite James Tavernier’s late penalty salvaging one. Dundee might have been cruelly denied had Cyriel Dessers’ stoppage-time strike stood, but the offside flag spared them. The Glasgow side fielded an unchanged eleven from their resounding 3-0 win midweek against Viktoria Plzeň. With hindsight, Martin should have made changes, as his team lacked intensity. Rangers are a work in progress, with new owners, a new boss, new signings, and a few out. Yet, in Glasgow, patience is in short supply, and the fans are already restless. This was evident with the booing throughout the match, particularly of second-half substitutions Nico Raskin and Kieran Dowell. Despite Rangers’ lethargy, Dundee deserves full credit for exploiting it. Energetic and brave, they were unrecognisable from their limp League Cup displays. Steven Pressley geed up his team for this tie, particularly Luke Graham’s standout defensive performance. And special mention goes to Ryan Astley, whose terrific second-half header gave Dundee the lead and had them on the brink of a marquee win for Pressley, if not for Captain Tav’s intervention from the penalty spot. Nasser Djiga’s afternoon also ended on a sour note, the defender seeing red for bringing down Fin Robertson as the last man just minutes after Astley’s opener. No appealing that one. Dons & Buddies Draw Blanks Aberdeen and St Mirren have failed to score in their opening two games of the season, though each has a different take on their final-third troubles. The Saints remain confident the goals will come and are only likely to enter the market if the price is right (think free transfers and loans). Context matters, having already travelled to Celtic Park and faced a rejuvenated Motherwell. They looked threatening in spells but perhaps missing pace in attack, a Toyosi Olusanya-type figure since his move to the USA in April. Aberdeen, meanwhile, have also endured a tough start, opening away to ‘title-chasing’ Hearts and last season’s champions Celtic. But they have looked worryingly toothless, with their only real threat to Kasper Schmeichel a long-range strike from Adil Aouchiche and a miscommunication between Shin Yamada and the veteran keeper. Their summer signing, Yusini Yengi, has endured a difficult start. He squandered a gilt-edged chance at Tynecastle and was underwhelming against the Hoops’ defence. At times on Sunday, he looked an isolated figure before being hooked on 55 minutes. Both captain Nicky Devlin and manager Jimmy Thelin have backed the Australian to come good, insisting he needs time and more attacking support from those around him. Yengi’s woes haven’t stopped the Pittodrie side from entering the market. They have been linked with Swedish winger Kenan Bilalovic for a six-figure fee and young AC Milan striker Marko Lazetic on a free transfer, albeit with a hefty sell-on clause attached. With Europa League qualifiers looming and Friday’s European signing deadline fast approaching, Aberdeen’s need for firepower is urgent. Lions Roar Again
Who should be Rangers’ starting right-back?
Max Aarons was Russell Martin’s first summer signing, and with James Tavernier turning 34-years-old this year, who should be Rangers’ starting right-back? Aarons joined the Light Blues from Bournemouth on a season-long loan, and the Englishman has played a total of 14 games in the past year. The 25-year-old has started every game under Martin, and played left-back for the first three games and right-back in the last two. It’s early days for the former Valencia loanee but he has struggled to settle in at Ibrox, as he looked uncomfortable playing on the left-hand side, and made numerous misplaced passes in the 1-1 draw against Dundee and didn’t offer a great deal going forward. Tavernier was brought on for Aarons at the the 64th minute against the Dees and helped salvage a point slotting his penalty away in stoppage time, making it two goals in two league games for Britain’s highest scoring defender. The Bradford-born right-back has had a fine start to the season and looks like he’s back to his best, as he’s had a full pre season behind him – something he never had last season due to injury. Tavernier contributes more in the attack and the 141 goals and 146 assists prove that he’s more effective in that aspect compared to Aarons. It was a bold call from the Rangers boss to drop Tavernier for Aarons in the last two games, but after Aarons’ disappointing display against Steven Pressley’s men – many of the Ibrox faithful are calling for Tavernier to be starting ahead of him. Aarons needs time to settle in and get his confidence up and has showed in the past that he is more than a capable footballer. Tavernier has been a main stay for the Ibrox club over the past ten years and age does catch up with everyone, where he can’t be playing 50 plus games a season, but one thing is for sure he is still a crucial part of Martin’s team. Competition is healthy and every team needs it – and Aarons’ arrival has certainly made Tavernier up his game. Tavernier is in the final year of his contract and is set for his testimonial, and if it’s his last season at the Govan club, he’ll want to make sure he goes out on a high. Martin’s men have a huge August ahead with big games coming up against Celtic and a potential Champions League play-off, where they could return to the group stages for the first time in three years. The Rangers manager needs to go with experience and start Tavernier for these crucial fixtures, which could set the tone for the season.
Viktoria Plzen Vs Rangers Champions League Preview
Rangers will be looking to bounce back following a poor result to Dundee at the weekend as they eye up a spot in the Champions League play-offs by getting the job done against Viktoria Plzen. Russell Martin’s men beat the Czech side with ease last Tuesday at Ibrox 3-0 thanks to a brace from Djeidi Gassama and Cyriel Dessers penalty. If the Light Blues get through tonight, they will be facing Club Brugge or Salzburg in the play-off round. Plzen are also coming into this all important second leg following a 1-1 draw from the weekend against Slovacko, where they conceded a penalty in stoppage time. The Rangers boss spoke to the press yesterday before the second leg and confirmed Thelo Aasgaard, Hamza Igamane, and Mikey Moore will not be in the squad for the game tonight, but will all be available this Saturday for the Premier Sports Cup game against Alloa Athletic. Martin made some bold decisions last week by dropping captain James Tavernier and star midfielder Nicolas Raskin. The Englishman was impressed by Raskin’s reaction after being dropped and his contribution coming on at the weekend: “He came out of the team for reasons that me and him spoke about, and his reaction has been top, like really, really brilliant. “He’s a fantastic player, and he’s a young man that I’m getting to know all the time, and actually I like his character and personality. “It’s my job to make sure, playing for this football club, whoever you are, the demands are clear, in whatever position you play.” The last two games Martin has stuck with the same team but it is expected he will make some changes tonight. Kick-off for the game is at 6pm and is available to watch on Solidsport for £12 in the United Kingdom.
