Cyriel Dessers axed in three changes – Rangers starting XI v Servette
Cyriel Dessers has been dropped for Rangers’ crunch Champions League clash with Servette as Michael Beale makes three changes to his side.
The summer signing was on target in last week’s 2-1 first-leg win for Rangers in the third-qualifying round tie, but he has fired blanks in his first two Scottish Premiership starts.
Danilo impressed through the middle after shifting into a centre-forward position in the 4-0 win over Livingston on Saturday [12 August] and is given the nod by Beale up top in Geneva.
Dessers is joined on the substitutes’ bench by Leon Balogun and Sam Lammers, while Conor Goldson, Ryan Jack and Abdallah Sima come into the XI.
Scott Wright, who continues to be linked with a move away, is included in the matchday squad [Daily Record].
See the job through
James Tavernier’s penalty and a bundled finish from Dessers had Rangers two goals up inside the opening 15 minutes of the first leg, only for Chris Bedia to pull one back before half-time with a spot-kick of his own.
That is how the game finished, setting up an intriguing contest at a sold-out Stade de Geneve.
Rangers head into the contest as favourites to advance to the final qualifying round, where either PSV or Sturm Graz await.
However, as Servette manager Rene Weiler stated on the eve of the game – in an apparent attempt at mind games – all the pressure is on the visitors as they have far more riding on reaching the group stage than their opponents.
The majority of Gers fans will agree with Michael Beale’s selection call, and it is now down to the players on the field to get the job done in as stress-free a manner as possible.
In other Rangers news, Neil Lennon feels winning the Scottish Premiership is more important for the Gers this season than qualifying for the Champions League.