Rangers concede against Sturm GrazSNS

Rangers have suffered back-to-back defeats at the start of their Europa League campaign

At a glance

  • Horvart gives Sturm early lead & Kiteishvili adds simple second

  • Gassama lashes in a second-half lifeline but Rangers can't find leveller

  • Martin's side remain winless in first two Europa League games

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

Rangers' rotten start to the season continued with a second consecutive Europa League defeat, this time at the hands of Austrian champions Sturm Graz.

A stoppage-time winner at Livingston on Sunday earned Russell Martin's side their first Scottish Premiership win of the campaign at the seventh attempt, but any hope of momentum coming from that dissipated with Tomi Horvat's early opener.

Rangers, not for the first time, were masters of their own demise. James Tavernier's feeble throw-in in his own final third was hooked back, laid off and fired in beyond a suspect Jack Butland.

The entire away defence were left wanting at the second goal, though.

A lasered free-kick sliced open a sleeping backline and allowed the influential Georgia international Otar Kiteishvili to stab in a second before the break.

Not that it could have got much worse, but Rangers – who lost at home to Genk on matchday one – were markedly improved after half-time and Djeidi Gassama, often the only bright light in blue, lashed in a lifeline.

Revived by that, the Ibrox side pushed for their first European point of the campaign, with Youssef Chermiti, Nico Raskin and John Souttar all coming close against a Graz side who lost last week away to Midtjylland.

It was too little too late for Martin's side, though, who have now have just five wins in his 16 games in charge in all competitions.

Rangers graphic

Analysis: Better, but not good enough for Rangers

A competition that has so often brought comfort for Rangers is now causing the same pain as domestic duties have been of late.

The Champions League was the initial goal for this side. Now the Europa League is proving a stretch.

Graz - like Genk last week - are far from the top of the crop in the second tier competition. The latter's defeat to Ferencvaros on Thursday would attest to that.

But in the opening 45 minutes, Rangers were floundering against in Austria.

The first goal would have had fans hiding behind their cushion. The second, scurrying behind the sofa.

It was the 23rd away game in a row in all competitions in which Rangers have conceded. It beat a club record that has stood since the Victorian era (22 between 1895 and 1897).

Once they regrouped at the interval, there was an undoubted improvement. But again it was once Martin's side were already on the back foot.

And when they did open up - by ripping up the script, system and structure - Rangers were lost at the back. A better team will punish them further.

Better teams are to come - Braga, Porto and Roma to name a few - and already, qualification hopes appear to be dwindling.

What they said

Russell Martin on his Rangers side's 'mentality'

Rangers head coach Russell Martin: "We give away two poor goals. That's my frustration, the mentality of the group in the first half hour. We came away in Europe and created so many chances, you shouldn't have nothing to show for it.

"The difference in mentality from the first half hour to the next 60 minutes was too far apart really. It is concentration, it's mentality. It's mentality, it's not a technical or tactical problem."

"We played some really brilliant football and created some fantastic chances. The players run so hard for each other, that gives me energy. I'm not coming out here and blaming anyone but it's a fact, I think any player would say we hurt ourselves tonight."

Former Scotland forward James McFadden: "Rangers were the architects of their own downfall going behind. They were far better in the second half, but why do you wait until it looks like the game is gone to make changes?

"The players look like the shackles are off when they change formation.

"Rangers look a danger to themselves at times when they have the ball. The goals they concede, and have conceded, have been really poor. Every goal is avoidable."

Scotland midfielder Kenny McLean: "The unpredictably is the issue. You don't know what to expect from this Rangers team."

What next for Rangers?

Rangers are eyeing up back-to-back Premiership wins with a trip to Falkirk on Sunday (15:00) before a few players jet off on international duty.

Player of the match

T. Horvat
7.11
19 T. Horvat
7.11
10 O. Kiteishvili
7.00
4 J. Gorenc Stankovič
6.98
17 E. Karić
6.88
47 E. Aiwu
6.85
77 M. Malone
6.84
5 T. Oermann
6.82
21 T. Chukwuani
6.77
24 D. Lavalée
6.72
26 B. Beganović
6.69
1 O. Christensen
6.67
20 S. Jatta
6.56
35 N. Geyrhofer
6.52
2 J. Mitchell
6.43
43 J. Hödl
6.40
38 L. Grgić
6.25
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