Rangers were eliminated from the Champions League following a 3-1 aggregate loss to Dynamo Kyiv. This result meant they failed to advance further in the competition.
Jefte’s red card, which came after he received his second yellow card, compounded the defeat in the second half.
Jefte’s Red card in the second half, which came after he received his second yellow card, was a significant blow to Rangers’ chances. It left them with a numerical disadvantage and made their task of overturning the deficit even more difficult.
Kris Boyd thinks Rangers are in a “bad place” and argues that the focus on them being a “project” is misplaced; instead, the club “needs to win.”
Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd believes the club is not showing significant progress, especially after their recent costly defeat to Dynamo Kyiv. This loss led to their elimination from the Champions League, underscoring the pressing need for improvement and the ongoing issues that need to be addressed.
Rangers’ hopes of continuing in the Champions League for another season were dashed on Wednesday by Dynamo Kyiv
On Wednesday, Dynamo Kyiv shattered Rangers’ dreams of extending their Champions League campaign. The defeat effectively crushed Rangers’ hopes of progressing in the tournament this season, marking a significant disappointment for the team and their supporters. This result highlighted the challenges they face as they strive to compete at the highest level in European football.
Philippe Clement’s team ultimately fell short when substitutes Oleksandr Pikhalyonok and Nazar Voloshyn scored quickly. Their goals secured a 2-0 victory for Dynamo Kyiv on the night, resulting in a 3-1 aggregate win. This outcome advanced Dynamo to the play-off round, where they will face RB Salzburg.
Having already been booked, Jefte received a second yellow card in the 50th minute. The infraction occurred as he leaped to contest a header, which made things difficult for the hosts.
According to Boyd, the red card merely masked the underlying issues for Rangers.
“Even before the red card, they weren’t playing that well,” Boyd said.
“Top teams in top countries dominate the ball and can keep the ball for large periods. I don’t see that with Rangers, everything is 100mph getting the ball forward. When you’ve got better players than the opposition, you need to keep the ball.”
“It’s easy to blame the red card. Rangers need to be a lot better. Phillipe Clement has spoken of improvement, I’ve yet to see it. The Hearts game wasn’t great, there was 45 minutes that were good against Motherwell but they ended up hanging on. Then missing out on the Champions League, which would have been huge in terms of being able to invest in the squad and money generated.”
“Rangers aren’t in a good place.”
“Rangers fans are used to watching them dominate Scottish football – right now, it looks like Celtic will dominate for a long time. The word project has been used about Rangers. I can tell you Rangers as a football club has never been a project and never will be, they need to win. That’s where the pressure will build. People will want time, but you aren’t going to get it.”
“There’s negativity flying around; you’ve drawn your first league game out of the Champions League. The last thing Rangers need is for this to fester and have a knock-on effect.”
A delay in materials arriving from Asia delayed the construction work on Rangers’ Copland Road Stand at Ibrox, forcing the team to play the match at Hampden Park. Chairman John Bennett has apologized for the inconvenience.
“This whole situation with the stadium has come back to cost Rangers again,” said Boyd.
“Champions League nights at Ibrox, teams crumble. Tonight, there wasn’t much of an atmosphere at Hampden.”
“There are so many problems at the football club, but the biggest one for me is Ibrox. You look at Hampden Park – it’s not home – last night, there were only 39,000 there, and they’ve got a League Cup match against St Johnstone coming up where there’ll be only 20,000 there. The fans have had enough; someone needs to get a grip of the football club.”
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