Rangers’ Europa League hopes hang by a thread after a 2-1 defeat to unbeaten Ferencváros in Budapest, a night where promise briefly flickered before familiar frailties resurfaced.
Bojan Miovski provided the early spark, reacting sharply to a loose ball and dispatching a superb acrobatic volley to give Rangers an unexpected lead. For a moment, Danny Rohl’s side looked like they might steady themselves in Europe at last.
But that optimism dissolved on the stroke of halftime. Bence Otvos found too much space at the edge of the box, his low strike taking a slight deflection before nestling in the corner. It was a warning Rangers failed to heed.
Ferencváros grew stronger after the break, repeatedly prising open a stretched visiting defense. The winner, when it arrived in the 72nd minute, felt inevitable. Callum O’Dowda delivered a teasing ball from the left, and Barnabás Varga drifted in front of Emmanuel Fernandez to guide a firm header past Jack Butland.
Rangers almost stole a point in the dying minutes, but Findlay Curtis saw his effort clawed away by David Gróf.
With five defeats in six, progression now requires two wins and a miracle elsewhere. On this evidence, Rangers will be fighting uphill for some time yet.