Archive December 12, 2025

Rangers were comfortably second-best as they slumped to yet another Europa League defeat, according to victorious Ferencvaros boss Robbie Keane, and didn’t “deserve” the goal that they got.

Danny Rohl’s side have now just taken one point from their first six league-stage matches but are still not officially out of the tournament, with Ludogorets coming to Ibrox and a trip to Porto to come in January.

In reality, though, it would take a miraculous sequence of results for Rangers to progress after another dismal night in continental competition.

The Scottish Premiership outfit went in front in Budapest after VAR intervened to overturn the original decision to disallow Bojan Miovski’s acrobatic volley, but goals either side of half-time from Bence Otvos and Barnabas Varga turned the game.

“It would have been a tragedy if we didn’t get anything out of the game,” former Celtic striker Keane said. “I thought we were the much better team from the start.

“They got the goal, questionable if I’m being honest – the VAR lines I’m not sure about. I don’t think they deserved that goal.

For Rangers and for Rohl in particular, there was a frustration in how they conceded both goals.

Otvos’ deflected strike came at the end of a slick passing move – which Keane was quick to praise – but the Hungary midfielder was left all alone inside the box.

If that was a momentary lapse amid nice opposition play, Varga’s winner was far worse.

One long ball picked out Callum O’Dowda in acres of space and he swung the ball towards dangerman Varga. Centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez turned his back on the cross and lost track of Varga, who was able to plant a header into the net.

Fernandez put his hands to his head, almost in disbelief at what he had done.

“I’m very angry about our conceded goals,” Rohl said. “This is the disappointment for me. We played a solid first half, go in the lead, then the first conceded goal.

“Second half, we missed so many transition moments, and the second goal is too easy. These are the parts at the moment where we are not clinical enough.

While Rohl did not dig out his defenders, former Rangers striker and coach Billy Dodds wasn’t as generous.

“The Rangers defence, that was as bad as I’ve seen it this season,” he said on TNT Sports.

Given some of the goals Rangers have coughed up under Rohl and his predecessor Russell Martin this season, that is quite the statement.

Rohl’s assessment was that those two defensive mistakes cost Rangers, but in reality, the margin of victory could have been greater for Ferencvaros.

“For the second game in the row in this competition, I see a team who is competitive and a team in a forward process, but I see a team, especially in this competition, destroy the hard work in two, three situations,” Rohl said.

The home side had 13 shots in the Rangers box, four of which were squandered by striker Bamidele Yusuf, who could have had a first-half hat-trick.

In attack, Miovski’s fine finish was the one moment of quality for a Rangers side who struggled to create. Indeed, their seven shots was the lowest they have registered in a Europa League match this season.

Keane – assisted by former Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass – was asked if he was surprised by the Rangers team he came up against, but chose to focus on his own high-flying outfit.

“I knew they were going to play three at the back,” he said.

Paul: Fernandez and Djiga are a complete bombscare at the centre of Rangers defence. They don’t know how to defend.

Craig: Rangers are completely inept at defending. The same story game after game. While it was a good goal, it was unchallenged and the Rangers defence simply watch it go in the net. It’s almost comical now.

Brian: Fernandez is truly us one of worst professional players I have seen in my life – truly atrocious.

Alexander: You couldn’t make this defending up. Schoolboys know the basics better than this Rangers defence, there isn’t one of them would get a game at amateur level, this is appalling.

Luke Littler began the defence of his PDC World Championship title with a straight-set victory over Darius Labanauskas of Lithuania.

The world number one, 18, was the headline act on the opening night at Alexandra Palace.

Although the set scoreline looked convincing and Littler never appeared under real threat, 49-year-old Labanauskas provided stubborn first-round opposition.

A former quarter-finalist at Alexandra Palace, world number 95 Labanauskas held throw in the first leg of the match with a 130 checkout on the bull and took both of the first two sets to deciding legs.

“It definitely wasn’t easy and I’m happy with the win,” Littler, who posted a three-dart average of 101.54 and landed nine of his 14 attempts at doubles, told Sky Sports.

“There were a few nerves but once you win a leg and win a set, it settles you down. That first set was crucial against the darts.

“Everyone in the tournament wants to get through the first round. It’s definitely the hardest game – it doesn’t matter who you play. If you don’t play well, you’re not going to win, so I’m very happy with that.”

Littler became the youngest-ever world darts champion in January when, shortly before his 18th birthday, he beat Michael van Gerwen to win the title.

Elsewhere on the opening night, 2023 world champion Michael Smith beat Women’s World Matchplay winner Lisa Ashton 3-0.

Ashton, who had the majority of the crowd on her side, won two of the first three legs but Englishman Smith, 35, then put together a run of seven successive legs on his way to securing a spot in the last 64.

“That first set was nerve-wracking,” Smith told BBC Radio 5 Live. “As soon as I walked out, the crowd was on me straight away.

“I expected it but I thought if I go 1-0 down, it was going to get worse and worse.

“I tried to force things that weren’t there, but when I took that first set, it was happy days. I started to settle in then and nearly threw it away in the last set, but we’ll take the win.”

German debutant Arno Merk and Latvia’s Madars Razma also made it through to round two with 3-1 wins against Belgium’s Kim Huybrechts and Dutchman Jamai van den Herik respectively.

A total of 128 players are competing in the World Championship, up from 96 last year, for an increased first prize of £1m.

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