Anniversary bash to forget for Stevie G as new Bosz turns party pooper
Gerrard hits 50 but French aren’t Lyon down
RANGERS were looking forward to enjoying a golden anniversary party at Ibrox but an old ex turned up to make it an awkward evening.
Steven Gerrard wanted to celebrate his 50th European tie in style before former foes Lyon took the shine off it.
Rangers fans will always have a space in their hearts for the French town after their love affair back in 2007.
A fair few choose to ignore the second date when Lyon pitched up in Glasgow and reversed the scoreline to send Walter Smith’s men out the Champions League.
There were no hard feelings back then, though, as it was better to have loved and lost – plus it sent Gers on their way to the UEFA Cup Final in Manchester.
But it was tough love last night as ruthless Lyon left the Light Blues searching for a silver lining.
A lot has happened in the 14 years since that showpiece.
Rangers have made a remarkable journey back to the top level but it’s not exactly been much fun for French outfits such as Lyon since PSG got turbo-charged by Qatari cash,
They’ve not won Ligue 1 in that time but they still landed in Scotland with a side that looked capable of doing damage.
The talk had been about former Celtic man Moussa Dembele coming back to his old Scottish stomping ground but the frontman was left at home crocked on the couch.
Gers fans weren’t wary at facing a former tormentor, though. They were keen to show the grinning assassin how far their side have come since he was rag-dolling defenders around these parts.
Rangers under Gerrard are unrecognisable from those dark days and have firmly become part of the Europa League furniture.
Plenty of big names have come and gone over his 50 games in charge, with teams including Porto, Feyenoord and Galatasaray crawling out of Govan.
But Lyon were a different beast. Gerrard reckoned going in that the side might be the best of the 25 he’s faced on the continent and he was proved right. They were simply a cut above. OL might not have got off to a flier in France this season but things are taking shape under new boss Peter Bosz.
And they still have players who can produce moments of quality.
There wasn’t much between the sides when Karl Toko Ekambi produced a piece of brilliance. If anything, Gers were shading it. But that’s what can happen at this level. It only takes a drop of the shoulder and a swing of a boot to land a blow.
Ryan Kent got caught out in possession but there was still a ton of work to do. John Lundstram could maybe have showed Ekambi outside but the finish was unreal. That’s the difference.
Rangers had chances as well, arguably some of the better ones.
Kent was back on it and back to his best, Joe Aribo was a threat, while Alfredo Morelos was selflessly taking the hits against defenders as well as dropping deep to create space for others.
Lundstram has yet to win over the Ibrox fans and while he might have been beaten for the goal, there were a few hints in his performance to suggest he could kick on.
The second goal was a sore one. If the opener was magical, No.2 was more farcical as the ball pinballed around before ending up in the net after hitting skipper James Tavernier.
It gave Lyon the cushion they wanted to feel more comfortable while Rangers supporters were shifting uneasily in their seats.
Kent limping off was the last thing they needed and another sign the night was heading south.
Lyon were happy to keep their shape and hit on the break while the home side just couldn’t find the ex-factor.
Gerrard’s Ibrox marriage has been a match made in heaven but this was an anniversary bash to forget.