Blues need
Sutton and Lennon get turned away but Rangers allow French side access all areas
IF only Rangers could have turned Lyon away at the door last night.
The ploy worked on Neil Lennon and Chris Sutton as the BT Sport pundits were denied access amid “security concerns”.
The former Celtic heroes were due to be on pitch-side analysis duty at the home of their old sparring partners – that was until Gers chiefs stepped in to suggest the broadcasters made alternative arrangements.
But in the end Steven Gerrard’s team were far too accommodating to Peter Bosz’s Ligue 1 giants as they began their fourth consecutive Europa League group-stage campaign.
It was Gerrard’s 50th European game in charge but the anniversary atmosphere fell flat as first Karl Toko Ekambi was afforded all the time he needed to sweep home a stunning opener.
Lyon’s second was a far scrappier affair as the ball bounced off James Tavernier into the Rangers net but it was no less damaging as the Scottish champions made a losing start to Group A.
Gerrard had predicted pre-match this would be his team’s toughest challenge in Europe yet as they came up against a side who were Champions League semi-finalists only 13 months ago.
His first 49 games against continental opposition had only witnessed eight defeats but the French outfit were every bit as slick as the likes of previous conquers Leverkusen and Slavia Prague.
Yet there were reasons for the Ibrox faithful to be hopeful as they looked through both line-ups ahead of kick-off.
With Connor Goldson isolating and Filip Helander ruled out injured until December, a collective cold sweat broke out earlier this week as the Gers faithful realised they might have to pin their hopes on Leon Balogun and youngster Calvin Bassey being solid enough to tame ex-Celtic hitman Moussa Dembele.
But with Goldson given the OK to break down his bedroom barricade and former Old Firm tormentor Dembele left behind in France with a muscle injury, it appeared the cause for alarm was premature.
Lyon were able to include Lucas Paqueta and Bruno Guimaraes after Nicola Sturgeon’s government gave the green light for the key Brazilian duo to skip quarantine.
But with former Liverpool winger Xherdan Shaqiri starting on the bench, on paper this looked far less threatening than might have been the case.
But Gerrard’s caution was fully justified as Lyon proved midway through the first half.
Goldson had already been booked for catching Ekambi high on the leg with a reckless challenge.
VAR decided a yellow was enough but the Englishman may have wished he’d hit the Cameroon ace a little harder when Ryan Kent was stripped of the ball in the 23rd minute after being far too casual collecting possession on halfway.
Lyon quickly worked the ball out wide to Ekambi, who found it far too easy to give Lundstram the slip before whipping a sublime finish past Allan McGregor.
Rangers were playing with the handbrake on during the opening quarter but the loss of the opener at last forced them to put the foot to the floor.
Lundstram was back in to start as Gerrard finally opted to forgive and
forget the former Sheffield United man’s schoolboy Alashkert sending-off following a month of bench detention.
He dropped a gear and drove into the box only to be sent sprawling by Paqueta. Swedish ref Andreas Ekberg said it was a fair shoulder barge and the play raged on.
Kent, attention levels jolted by his part in the opener, scampered past the hesitant Jerome Boateng before teeing up Joe Aribo but there was no way past Anthony Lopes.
Again Kent did his best to make amends, dancing his way to the byeline before finding Alfredo Morelos. The Colombian teed the ball back to Lundstram but his shot was dragged agonisingly past the base of the far post.
Lyon then should have been two up on 38 minutes.
Borna Barisic had looked scared stiff of Paqueta all night and when he froze again, the Brazilian rolled the ball through his legs to set
Houssem Aouar free in the box. He cut back for the unmarked Malo Gusto but a golden chance was wasted as he pulled a shot wide.
Barisic did better moments later to find Kent in the box but Lopes pulled off a fabulous one-handed stop down to his left to preserve the lead heading into the break.
And Lyon doubled their advantage on 55 minutes as Paqueta was allowed the time and space to do the damage.
He didn’t hang about as he slid a cute reverse pass for Aouar into the box and was on the rebound as McGregor parried the first shot.
He couldn’t net but Dembele’s stand-in Islam Slimani’s did see a strike eventually dribble over the line after ricocheting between the knees of Goldson and ultimately Tavernier. The skipper may have sparked a fightback had his freekick not clipped the outside of Lopes’ post soon after, while
Boateng got a vital touch to one of the captain’s crosses to deny Balogun a free header. Kent provided his boss with further cause for concern when the £7million man went down clutching his hamstring. The last thing Gerrard needs is his main playmaker ruled out of action after a stuttering start to the season.
Gerrard threw on Scott Wright, Fashion Sakala and Kemar Roofe in the hope of sparking a late revival.
New signing Sakala did well to burrow his way into the box but when he failed to find a blue shirt with his cross the last hope for the home side disappeared.