Glasgow Rangers saw their chances of appearing in the Champions League group stage end after a loss at Hampden on Tuesday night.
The 2-0 defeat to Dynamo Kyiv means the Ibrox side will play in the Europa League for the second year in succession, a result which could alter Philippe Clement’s transfer business.
The tie was on a knife edge during the first half, with both clubs having chances to open the scoring, yet the match turned on its head just five minutes into the second half…
Jefte's dismissal vs Kyiv
It is fair to say that in such a pivotal game you need luck to be on your side, but on this occasion, the Premiership outfit certainly didn't get the rub of the green.
Jefte – who was booked during the first 45 – went in for a 50/50 with a Kyiv player and clearly won the ball fairly, but Marco Guida, the referee, flashed a second yellow card to the Brazilian, reducing the Gers to ten men.
It was a truly horrendous decision – the worst Clement had seen in "more than 30 years of football" – and this gave Kyiv all the momentum heading into the final 40 minutes of the clash.
Metric
Rangers
Kyiv
Shots
7
5
Fouls committed
11
6
Corners taken
4
5
Yellow cards
3
0
Offsides
1
6
Two late goals sealed progression, but several players were far from at their best, including James Tavernier.
James Tavernier's performance vs Kyiv
In times like these, the captain should lead by example and push the team on to achieve new heights. Tavernier’s mentality has arguably been weak for quite some time now, with the defeat to Kyiv proving to be the nadir.
Of course, the sending off didn’t help matters, but the Light Blues still created a few chances after that, yet they couldn’t convert.
The Englishman delivered a few decent crosses into the opposition box during the first half, but defensively, he was torrid yet again.
Vladyslav Kabayev ran rings around him for Kyiv, highlighting Tavernier’s defensive frailties. While this is not fresh news, the defender has started the season poorly so far.
Indeed, the National gave him a match rating of 6/10, which was generous to say the least.
What Rangers do now
While there was no guarantee that Clement would have gotten the better of RB Salzburg coach Pep Lijnders in the playoff round, crashing out in such a frustrating manner will no doubt sting.
With a massive financial windfall blown due to the defeat against Kyiv, it feels as though the Light Blues are currently operating at a Europa League level. Even if they did make it through the group stages of Europe’s premier club competition, the thought of facing the likes of Real Madrid or Manchester City surely would have sent shivers down every supporter’s spine.
Between now and the end of the month, Clement must use what limited funds he has to bring in another attacking midfielder. Truth be told, the vast majority of the squad needs improvement, proving that this summer has been yet another failed rebuild.
Tavernier’s display against the Ukrainian side may be the final straw for much of the Ibrox faithful. Having been touted for an exit earlier this summer, the former Newcastle United youngster will remain at the Gers, for another season at least.
Unless his performances drastically improve in the coming weeks, many will feel that this summer was a missed opportunity to secure a transfer fee for the right-back, especially with his poor displays of late.
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