A defeat to Olympique Lyon (4:1) has moved Rangers further away from a top-eight spot in the Europa League. As they prepare for their home clash against FCSB, the team will approach the match with utmost seriousness — they need a swift victory to ease the mounting pressure on the players.
Following the international break, Rangers—missing Óscar Cortés, Danilo Silva, Ianis Hagi, Rabbi Matondo, and Rıdvan Yılmaz—were unable to overcome Kilmarnock (0:1), despite taking 15 shots and commanding 67% of the possession. In the Europa League, the Scottish side have prioritised attacking play: they created 2.37 xG from 17 shots against Malmö (2:0), with the manager not hesitating to field inexperienced youngsters. Against Lyon at Ibrox, Rangers did not deserve to lose (2.21 xG vs 2.81 xG, 14-15 in shots) — performances like this will provide valuable experience for the players.
Even after victories over RFS (4-1) and PAOK (1-0), FCSB do not seem strong contenders for a top-eight finish in the league phase. In Greece, they were simply fortunate (0.59 xG vs 2.26 xG, 6-27 in shots), especially after Darius Olaru was sent off in the 56th minute. Without their attacking midfielder and the suspended winger Florin Tănase, the team's manager Ilias Charalampous faces limited options in his attacking line-up.
Rangers have claimed six wins from eight home games in the current campaign, scoring more than two goals in all but one match. FCSB are unlikely to withstand the pressure against this top-tier opponent.
