Genk spoil Rangers’ Europa League opener as Oh Hyeon-Gyu nets winner after red card

Genk spared Rangers a dream start to their Europa League campaign by inflicting a 1-0 defeat at Ibrox, with Oh Hyeon-Gyu striking in the second half to secure the visitors’ win. The result stemmed from a first-half setback for Rangers, who were reduced to 10 men when Mohamed Diomande was sent off for a wild challenge on Zakaria El Ouahdi just before the break. Jack Butland produced a big moment for Rangers with a penalty save shortly before the interval, but Oh converted after the restart to hand Genk the lead and momentum.

Rangers, who entered the match amid a testing run of form, were unable to turn their fortune around in front of a home crowd that left frustrated by the final outcome. Diomande’s dismissal forced manager Russell Martin to reshuffle his team at a critical point, and his players found it difficult to muster sustained pressure or clear chances against a Genk side that dictated the tempo after the break. The late stages were a scramble as Rangers pushed for an equaliser but could not find a way through a composed Genk rearguard.

The match unfolded with a familiar pattern for Rangers this season: moments of promise followed by defensive lapses and the occasional lapse in concentration. Jack Butland, busy throughout the night, earned plaudits for the late first-half penalty stop, but Oh Hyeon-Gyu’s finish—after slicing through in behind the Rangers defence—proved the decisive moment. Rangers’ hopes of a successful European campaign on opening night were tempered by the numerical disadvantage and a second-half performance that failed to conjure the level of attacking urgency needed to overturn the deficit.

Rangers lined up in a 4-3-3 shape, with Butland in goal and a back four that included James Tavernier and John Souttar as captain and central defender respectively. Derek Cornelius partnered Souttar at centre-back, while Mohamed Diomande started in midfield before his sending-off. Thelo Aasgaard, Nicolas Raskin, and Mikey Moore shifted in the middle, with Djeidi Gassama continuing to provide pace and menace on the left flank. Gassama emerged as the visitors’ brightest attacking threat for long spells, but a combination of tightened Genk shape and a lack of clear-cut opportunities limited the Gers’ chances to draw level. Youssef Chermiti and Gassama led the line in different tactical looks, but the service and support in the final third did not materialise into meaningful opportunities after the interval.

Genk, arranged in a 5-3-2 configuration, looked more balanced after taking the lead and constraining Rangers’ forward runners. In addition to Oh Hyeon-Gyu, the visitors leaned on the work-rate of El Ouahdi and Bangoura, who helped Genk pin Rangers back in their own half as the game progressed. The result leaves Genk with a strong platform in Group stage play while Rangers must quickly regroup as they prepare for the next assignment in Europe.

The broader context of the night is the mounting pressure on Martin as Rangers again failed to translate positives from a promising first half into a result. The club has won only a handful of matches across all competitions in the early part of the season, and the night’s setback will intensify scrutiny of the manager’s approach and personnel decisions under pressure to reverse a downturn in form. The result also underscores the challenge of balancing domestic duties with European fixtures, particularly when discipline and defensive organization become critical after a red card.

Genk’s victory on a damp night at Ibrox underscored the margins at the European level: a moment of quality from Oh Hyeon-Gyu changed the game, while Rangers’ otherwise solid response after going a man down failed to yield a share of the points. As the campaign progresses, both sides will look to build on the lessons from this encounter, with Rangers eager to demonstrate resilience and Genk intent on translating control into continued results on the continental stage.