Russell Martin has £40million Champions League showdown to navigate but his team will need to go up a few gears to stand a chance
20:08, 12 Aug 2025Updated 22:18, 12 Aug 2025
‘Rangers were WOEFUL and that’s the worst we’ve seen so far’ – Hotline Live
In the city which gave birth to the Skoda, Rangers suffered another bump in the road.
Thankfully for Russell Martin, it wasn’t enough to see his team skid out of the Champions League entirely.
But the Ibrox gaffer will surely know this Ibrox ragged outfit are going to have to go up more than a few gears if they are to have any chance of surviving next week’s £40million play-off test.
The pressure was on the new Govan gaffer and his players after a disastrous start to the domestic campaign left fans fearing this year’s title race is already spluttering like a clapped out banger.
And concerns of another costly breakdown soared when Rangers failed to react to a quick Viktoria free-kick, allowing Rafu Durosinmi to sweep home the night’s opening goal just before halt-time.
But on the day the club announced a u-turn on plans to postpone next week’s trip to Paisley, the Light Blues finally got themselves heading in the right direction on the hour mark.
John Souttar’s long ball over the Plzen defence found Mohamed Diomande. His cut back was swept towards goal by substitute Danilo, with Lyall Cameron providing the vital touch to record his first goal and restore the three-goal lead Gers built up in Glasgow last week.
Plzen continued to fight and found a way past Jack Butland’s heroics with 10 minutes to go as Svetozar Markhovic nodded home from Christophe Kabongo’s cross.
That confirmed a first defeat for Martin as Ibrox boss but they still motor on to a final league phase eliminator with either Club Brugge or Red Bull Salzburg next week.
Here’s five talking points from Plzen.
Attitude adjustment
All eyes were on how Rangers would respond after Sunday’s dismal draw with Dundee.
But it was a display that will only further concern the already worried Ibrox support.
Plzen boss Miroslav Koubek admitted his side needed a miracle to progress – but Martin’s team did all they could to encourage the hosts.
Frankly, Gers are lucky they didn’t see their lead overturned given the number of chances they offered up.
Their only saving grace was that the Czechs lacked the quality to take advantage.
The Doosan Arena isn’t one of Europe’s more intimidating venues. Think Livingston without the faded seats.
Svetozar Markovic of Viktoria Plzen celebrates scoring his team’s second goal
But again it proved to be another uncomfortable evening for a Rangers side still ill at ease with their new tactics.
With Plzen applying pressure, Martin’s men tried to go long over the hosts’ press.
But time and time again it simply handed the possession Martin prizes so highly away as Cyriel Dessers proved incapable of holding onto the ball.
All that did was encourage Plzen. After coming close with a few efforts, they finally grabbed a lifeline with Durosinmi’s goal just before the break.
This was another test of the Light Blues’ nerve. They should have eased the tension with Cameron’s equaliser but again it was panic stations as Rangers continued to invite pressure.
Jack Butland did his best to stave it off with two fabulous saves but was helpless as Markhovic nodded home. Play like this again and Rangers will suffer in Brugge/Salzburg*****.
Raskin returns
The pre-match build up was dominated by Russell Martin’s revelation that he had decided to drop Nico Raskin for last week’s first leg because the little Belgian’s head had been turned by summer transfer talk.
But the 24-year-old has quickly quelled the manager’s concerns with his renewed sense of focus.
Raskin was Gers’ top performer last term but his new boss has made clear that all counts for nothing now as he seeks to stamp his own imprint on the team.
Nicolas Raskin
And it looks like Raskin is determined to convince the new boss that he should be the central figure in this new-look line up.
He was alert and switched on, covering for his full backs when they ventured forward and worked tirelessly to protect centre-backs John Souttar and Nasser Djiga.
But like most of his team-mates, Russell needs to see much more quality on the ball if this new style is to click.
Missing midfield blend
Martin was keen to point out at his presser that it’s not a case of one or the other when it comes to starting Raskin or Joe Rothwell.
Well, they might find themselves reunited soon if Mohamed Diomande doesn’t up his game on a more regular basis.
The Ivory Coast international is a player who frustrates the life out of the Ibrox support.
Capable of moments of proper skill one minute, basic errors the next. During the first half, however, it was mostly one careless mistake after another as he followed up disappointing displays against Motherwell and Dundee.
At half-time, Martin needed the £4million signing from Nordsjaelland to give the show the kind of reaction Raskin has produced and thankfully he got it.
It was Diomande’s darting run in behind that finally pierced the Plzen defence and allowed Gers to draw level through Cameron.
Dessers despair
The Nigerian frontman is another who leaves the Light Blue legions tearing their hair out at times.
But with 52 goals in just over two seasons at the club, he’s been the most reliable of the club’s flakey frontmen.
Cyriel Dessers goes down injured
The last thing Martin needs, therefore, was to see the strike limping off after rolling his ankle on the Doosan turf.
A stretcher was called but thankfully the 30-year-old was able to make his way off under his own steam.
Rangers will now have to wait for news on the damage but should it prove to be anything more than a couple of weeks, the hunt for new frontline options that’s been progressing slowly all summer will have to be accelerated.
Nice little earner
Gers have banked themselves a £3.7million bonus for reaching the play-off rounds.
That tidy sum will certainly come in handy for the club’s new American owners after this summer’s £20million shopping spree.
But it’s in the league phase where the real riches are up for grabs.
Should Gers get past Brugge or Salzburg, they will then find UEFA dropping a cool £16million into their accounts. Every win they manage in the continent’s top tournament is worth a further £1.8million, while a draw earns £600,000.
Throw in TV rights, tickets sales and hospitality revenue and there is the potential for earnings to soar north of £40million.
However, those figures will drop drastically should the Ibrox men fall at the play-off hurdle and slump into the Europa League, where teams making the league phase receive a far less lucrative payment of £3.1million.