Rangers' Europa League campaign got off to a disastrous start at Ibrox on Thursday night, as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Genk. The loss piles further pressure on Rangers boss Russell Martin, whose position is already under intense scrutiny. Adding insult to injury for the home side, the winning goal was scored by former Celtic striker Oh Hyeon-gyu.
The match was a frustrating affair for Rangers, who struggled to create clear-cut chances and were ultimately undone by a combination of poor finishing and defensive errors. Genk, despite also having a difficult start to their domestic season, proved to be well-organized and dangerous on the counter-attack.
Genk had the ball in the net for a second time, but VAR ruled it offside. Despite being a man down and a goal down, Rangers created opportunities but were unable to capitalize.
The game swung further against Rangers when midfielder Mohamed Diomande was shown a straight red card in the 41st minute for a challenge on Zakaria El Ouahdi. The home fans did not argue much with the decision, and the attention turned back to their underperforming head coach.
Prior to the sending off, Genk had already threatened, with Patrik Hrosovsky striking the post. Oh himself missed a glaring opportunity, blazing over the bar from close range. In added time at the end of the first half, Rangers keeper Jack Butland saved a penalty from Oh.
Oh, who previously played for Celtic, eventually broke the deadlock in the 55th minute, scoring from close range after a through ball from Jarne Steuckers. It proved to be the decisive moment of the match. The South Korean striker had an eventful return to Glasgow, missing several chances before and after his penalty miss.
The defeat leaves Rangers second bottom of the William Hill Premiership. Martin now faces a must-win situation in the upcoming league match against Livingston on Sunday. The pressure is mounting on the manager, with some fans already calling for his dismissal.
Despite the protests and criticism, Martin insists he is enjoying the scrutiny "in a perverse way" and believes the difficult period could ultimately lead to growth for both himself and the team. He had previously stated his team would "attack" the Europa League. Before the game, Martin highlighted the intense scrutiny at the club but said it came as no surprise. He also revealed that Joe Rothwell was back in the squad, while Max Aarons was suspended.
The 2-0 win over Hibernian in the Scottish League Cup at the weekend had offered Martin some respite, but the loss to Genk has quickly undone that progress. The manager now needs to find a way to turn things around quickly to avoid further fan protests and potential job loss.
