Football Today
·8 November 2024
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·8 November 2024
Rangers came from behind to secure a fantastic result in the Europa League against Greek side Olympiakos.
The Gers earned a 1-1 draw away from Ibrox on Thursday night against the Greek side, and Philippe Clement is now extremely confident that his side can tackle the likes of Tottenham and Manchester United in this competition.
Nicolas Raskin, John Souttar and Vaclav Cherny were superb for Rangers on the night. Raskin, 23, produced a dominant performance and earned rave reviews from the Scottish press.
Clement, however, should be disappointed with the effort from young Brazilian full-back Jefte, who somewhat struggled to match the quality of his other teammates.
The 20-year-old made only 54 touches and managed 69% passing accuracy. The left-back area was the weakest zone for Rangers, as they kept on losing possession from that side.
Jefte lost the ball 13 times alone, and he won only two of his six duels overall.
Defensively, he made two tackles and three interceptions but could not provide the width needed for Rangers to exploit the other flank.
Nedim Bajrami was outstanding against Olympiakos, but he had to do a lot all by himself on the left flank, with Jefte providing him little support.
Dujon Sterling, Neraysho Kasanwirjo and Robbie Fraser are some of the options Clement has with him, while Ridvan Yilmaz is now back to full fitness after a long injury lay-off.
Yilmaz has established himself as the number one left-back under the Belgian, and he was included in the squad for the trip to Greece. It won’t be long before he will be gradually integrated into the side.
There is no doubt that Jefte is a better crosser than Yilmaz, but the fact that Clement now has loads of options, he can rotate the squad to keep everyone fresh and competitive.
Rangers will face Hearts at Ibrox this weekend prior to the international break, and Clement can afford to drop Jefte for his below-par performance in midweek.