Crayel Dessers canceled out Ayoub El-Kaabi’s stunning second-half strike to earn Rangers a 1-1 draw against Olympiakos in the Europa League.
El-Kaabi added to his stellar record in the competition with a volley to break the deadlock, before Dessers latched on to Vaclav Cerny’s cross and found the back of the net with a composed finish to equalise.
The two sides continue to be level on points in the Europa League with 7 points each.
The omission of Rangers captain James Tavernier from the starting lineup dominated the pregame chatter. He was replaced by Dujon Sterling as Philip Clement, whose position has come under scrutiny after a poor start to the Scottish Championship season, made three changes to the side that beat Motherwell to reach the Scottish League Cup final.
Both sides started the first half energetically, exchanging attacks early on. The best chances went to Dessers, who could not convert.
Konstantinos Tsolakis was twice on the Rangers striker before the break, holding him one-on-one before denying him from close range after an impressive run and ball from Cerny in the box.
Dessers eventually got his goal after an hour, his second in two games following the weekend’s semi-final win.
More to follow…