Rangers were left stunned on Tuesday night as Belgian side Club Brugge claimed a 3-1 victory in the UEFA Champions League playoff clash at Ibrox.
The visitors silenced the home crowd early with three first half goals that set the tone for the match.
Romeo Vermant opened the scoring before Jorne Spileers and Brandon Mechele extended the lead. By halftime Rangers were already facing a mountain to climb.
Meghoma Makes His Mark
Amid the defeat there was one bright spark for the Scottish club.
Nineteen year old defender Jayden Meghoma, making his first start since joining on loan from Brentford, showed real promise.
The left back grew into the game after a quiet first half. His attacking energy brought life to Rangers in the second half when he drove forward and set up Danilo for the team’s only goal.
The young fullback also worked hard in defense.
He completed 29 accurate passes and won two tackles before being replaced in the 70th minute by captain James Tavernier.
His effort gave Rangers supporters a glimpse of what he can bring in the future.
Nigerians in the Spotlight
The match also had strong Nigerian links. Raphael Onyedika of Club Brugge played a key role as his team dominated the midfield battle.
Meghoma, who is eligible to represent Nigeria, was one of the most watched players on the night.
Another Nigerian prospect, Emmanuel Fernandez, was named among the substitutes for Rangers but did not get on the pitch.
Meanwhile striker Cyriel Dessers missed the game after failing a late fitness test.
The loss leaves Rangers in a very difficult position ahead of the second leg in Belgium. They must overturn a two goal deficit against a strong Brugge side that looked confident and well organised.
