their Europa League debut in Malmo, Rangers won crucially and achieved their first-ever triumph on Swedish soil.
It was a bold and dreamy beginning. In less than sixty seconds, Cyriel Dessers got around Johan Dahlin in goal, broke in from behind, and struck the base of the post at an angle.
When the ball fell into his path, Nedim Bajrami was alert and scored his first goal for the Rangers with joy.
Malmo appeared shaken, but when he volleyed an angled free-kick back across Jack Butland, Isaac Kiese Thelin believed he had tied the score. His joy was short-lived as the offside flag was hoisted.
Dessers flicked to Bajrami who, in turn, brilliantly sent Vaclav Cerny clear in on goal in acres of space. He had to score. He didn’t, as the ball flashed just past the post.
That became a theme, glaring missed chances, until late on.
Dessers fed Bajrami racing into the box. It was another glorious chance until, incredibly, it wasn’t.
The Albania international, seemingly full of confidence after his goal, inexplicably didn’t shoot, reversed it back towards the striker and the chance was gone.
Malmo emerged re-energised after half-time, firing crosses into the penalty area and shots from distance. Yet Rangers stood firm under that pressure.
Anders Christiansen fired over on the run, but that was Malmo’s best chance. Few tested Butland at all in truth.
Rangers still continued to threaten and Dessers had another glorious chance to end it but fired high and wide when he had to score from close range.
They got there, though. Substitute Ross McCausland stepped up late on with a crisp, low strike to secure a crucial win that gets Rangers’ Europa League campaign off to an excellent start.
