Rangers 1 – 3 Club Brugge

Danilo (50′)                     Vermant (3′) Spileers (7′) Mechele (20′)

A ruthless first-half display saw Club Brugge take a huge step towards back-to-back Champions League Qualification against Rangers.

Russell Martin made seven changes from Saturday’s 4-2 League Cup victory over Alloa Athletic, including a debut for Brentford loanee Jayden Meghoma.

But it was the visitors who enjoyed a dream start after just three minutes as a hopeful forward ball was misjudged by Nasser Djiga, allowing Romeo Vermant to latch on and burst clean through. Bearing down on Jack Butland, he delivered a clever, chipped finish that silenced the home crowd at Ibrox.

The lead was doubled shortly after when Christos Tzolis delivered a floated corner for the unmarked Jorne Spileers. The Belgian defender had the freedom of Ibrox to side-foot past Butland.

The nightmare for Russell Martin’s side continued after losing a third goal in the 20th minute. Brandon Mechele stepped onto a loose ball on the edge of the box and fired a low, rasping strike past Butland. The disastrous opening period saw some home fans opting for an early exit.

Chances for Rangers were few and far between throughout the first half. Joe Rothwell’s free-kick kissed the post, and a dragged shot from Djeidi Gassama was the closest the hosts came to putting a dent in the away side’s lead. Carlos Forbs almost added a fourth close to halftime, but his strike from the edge of the box was tipped wide by a strong Butland hand.

The half time whistle brought a chorus of boos, marking an extraordinary first half. The Belgian giants had showcased a ruthless attacking display, leaving the home side with a mountain to climb.

Rangers reacted well after the break scoring five minutes into the second half. Gassama and Meghoma linked well on the left, and the latter whipped a dangerous low cross into the path of Danilo, who made no mistake with a close-range finish.

Having been the sole bright spot in a dismal first half, Gassama continued to be a constant threat for the home side. He carved out another opportunity for himself, firing a right-footed strike from the edge of the box that whistled just past Simon Mignolet’s post.

Despite Rangers’ improved performance, Brugge still looked dangerous on the counter. Aleksandar Stankovic found too much space in a forward area, and only a last-ditch challenge from John Souttar prevented Nicolo Tresoldi from getting an easy tap-in. Shortly after, Butland did well to smother another jabbed strike from Tresoldi.

The home side thought they had a second goal on the 80th minute when Gassama poked home from close range. However, the celebrations were cut short as the goal was disallowed, with the referee ruling that Mignolet had full control of the ball prior to the winger’s touch, ending a miserable night in Govan for Martin’s men.

Rangers: Butland, Aarons, Souttar, Djiga, Meghoma (Tavernier 70’), Diomande (Aasgaard 61’), Raskin, Rothwell (Cameron 86’) Antman (Moore 70’) Gassama, Danilo (Igamane 61’)

Bookings: Souttar 74’ Aarons 75’ Aasgaard 90+2’

Club Brugge: Mignolet, Sabbe (Meijer 73’) Spileers, Mechele, Seys, Onyedika (Diakhon 89’) Forbs (Vetlesen 73’) Tzolis, Stankovic (Reis 85’) Vanaken, Vermant (Tresoldi 46’)

Bookings: Sabbe 52’