European Super Football

Rangers 0 - 2 Roma Rangers endured another punishing Europa League night as Roma inflicted a fourth straight defeat in this season’s competition. Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Ibrox Danny Rohl’s team were booed off at half-time, two goals down and fortunate the margin was not greater. Only Jack Butland’s sharp goalkeeping and some wasteful Roma finishing spared further damage. Lorenzo Pellegrini’s exquisite strike ten minutes before the interval effectively settled the contest, the captain guiding home after a flowing Roma move. Earlier, his teasing corner had been glanced on by Matias Soule, the Argentine forward heading into an empty net to give the visitors the lead. At 2-0, memories resurfaced of the heavy Champions League qualifying defeat by Brugge in August. Rangers rarely troubled Mile Svilar, though Djeidi Gassama’s lively runs at least forced some defensive scrambling from the Italians. A bad night for Scottish teams in the Europa League Super Local Sports News | Glasgow ...

Brann 3 - 0 Rangers Danny Rohl’s introduction as Rangers head coach brought little respite to the beleaguered Scottish side. Author | Mark Lee  Stadium | Brann Stadion A sharp and composed Brann eased to victory and left Rangers rooted to the bottom of the 36-team league.  Emil Kornvig and Jacob Sorensen struck either side of the interval to take advantage of Rangers’ wastefulness, before a late finish from the lively Noah Holm deepened the gloom for the visitors in Bergen. Rohl arrived only three days earlier, so a rapid transformation was never likely, yet this outing served as a reminder of the ongoing problems that have haunted Rangers throughout a troubled campaign. There were early signs of hope  Rangers opened with urgency and purpose, pressing high and carving out an early opening as Youssef Chermiti could not make clean contact with a deft Joe Rothwell ball. Jack Butland was kept busy as the visitors drifted back into old habits, producing a series of sto...

Northern Ireland 2 - 0 Slovakia Northern Ireland moved level at the top of their World Cup qualifying group after a thoroughly deserved win over Slovakia. Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Windsor Park An own goal from Patrik Hrehovsky put them ahead in the first half, before Trai Hume sealed the result with his first international goal late in the second half. Ultimately, Slovakia didn't deserve anything; Northern Ireland were streets ahead of them. Closer analysis of what happened The hosts began brightly, though clear chances were at a premium until Conor Bradley and Ethan Galbraith combined neatly down the right. Galbraith’s low cross was diverted into his own net by Hrosovsky, giving Northern Ireland a deserved lead. Jamie Reid should have doubled it shortly before half-time but blazed over from close range on his weaker foot. Slovakia were largely subdued and had to wait until the 52nd minute for a real sight of goal, with Bailey Peacock-Farrell reacting sharply to push away Ma...

Another season. Another sacking of a Rangers manager. Why do they keep getting it wrong and how can they avoid making same mistakes again? Author | Mark Lee With champagne dripping from his hair and a 2020-21 Scottish Premiership winner's medal around his neck, then manager Steven Gerrard urged Rangers to "fix the roof while the sun is shining". Four years on, the roof remains in disrepair and the sunshine has long faded. Since that title triumph, Rangers have gone through four managers: Gerrard, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale and Philippe Clement, before reaching Martin. Under Van Bronckhorst, the club came agonisingly close to European glory, losing the Europa League final on penalties before lifting the Scottish Cup days later. He departed with Rangers nine points adrift of Celtic the following season. Beale and Clement both started brightly but their tenures quickly unravelled. Beale was dismissed with Rangers seven points behind Celtic; Clement’s side we...

Sturm Graz 2 - 1 Rangers Rangers’ troubled start to the season deepened with a second successive Europa League defeat, this time against Austrian champions Sturm Graz. Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Merkur Arena View from the away end A stoppage-time winner at Livingston on Sunday had finally given Russell Martin ’s side their first Premiership victory at the seventh attempt, but any sense of momentum was quickly undone by Tomi Horvat ’s early strike. Rangers contributed to their own downfall once again. James Tavernier’s careless throw-in deep inside his own half was punished swiftly, the ball worked back and fired beyond the uncertain Jack Butland. The defence as a whole was culpable for the second. A precise free-kick sliced through a static backline and Otar Kiteishvili, the Georgian international, finished decisively before half-time. READ MORE |  Braga stun Celtic after VAR controversy READ MORE |  Postecoglou endures fan backlash after a damaging defeat If the night looked...

Rangers 0 - 1 Genk Rangers’ woeful start to the season continued as Oh Hyeon-gyu’s goal, combined with Mohamed Diomande’s first-half red card, handed Genk a Europa League victory. Author |  Mark Lee Stadium |  Ibrox Kick-off in Glasgow Under-pressure head coach Russell Martin was seeking successive wins for the first time, but his side were second-best for long periods against a Belgian side who squandered numerous opportunities. In recent seasons, this competition has offered Rangers a welcome distraction from domestic struggles, but it quickly became apparent that even that would elude them this time. The result added to Martin’s mounting frustrations, highlighting his inability to generate momentum or positivity. Discipline issues cost Russell Martin’s side Rangers were already on the back foot before Diomande lunged recklessly at Zakaria El Ouahdi just before half-time. A straight red card was fully justified. Earlier in the match, John Souttar had appeared to provide a ...

What has been the best England World Cup qualifier? Let's explore some memorable moments from this stage of the competition. Author | Mark Lee England's recent qualifier against Andorra wasn't exactly a classic Of course, qualifying for the World Cup should be the absolute minimum for England. However, there have been some classic moments along the way. Italy 0 - 0 England | Qualification is secured England only needed a point from their final match to qualify for the following summer's World Cup. Easier said than done when that final match is Italy away.  A battling and sometimes heroic display from the Three Lions earned them a 0-0 draw and qualification was secured. Not a lot of flair from the attacking players but the point was well deserved. Watch some of the highlights from the game in the video below. Germany 1 - 5 England | Even Heskey scored Germany had beaten England at the start of the end of the qualifying campaign. A disappointing end to the reign of ...

England 2 - 0 Andorra England overcame stubborn resistance from Andorra to record a fourth successive victory under head coach Thomas Tuchel in World Cup qualifiers. Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Villa Park In what was effectively a match of defence against attack, England once again laboured for long periods before finally making their quality count against the minnows ranked 174th in the world. Tuchel gave a debut to Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson , who was one of the more impressive performers in a largely drab encounter at Villa Park. England broke the deadlock after 25 minutes when Andorra defender Christian Garcia headed Noni Madueke 's cross past keeper Iker Alvarez into his own net. Andorra's defensive ranks held firm, helped by keeper Alvarez when he saved superbly from Anderson, until Declan Rice headed in Reece James ' fine cross at the far post after 67 minutes. England now move on to what will be the toughest test of Tuchel's reign so...

Luxembourg v Northern Ireland preview Northern Ireland will begin another World Cup qualifying campaign with an away game in Luxembourg. Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Stade de Luxembourg The 2026 World Cup will arrive 40 years after Northern Ireland last graced football’s biggest stage, and a decade since their memorable run at Euro 2016 . In the years since, progress has been limited, but the introduction of younger players and a recent Nations League group victory have injected fresh belief. Qualification rules may also work in their favour, with Nations League winners who do not finish in the top two of their groups handed another route into the finals. READ MORE |  Wales resume their attempt to reach the World Cup Michael O’Neill’s side have taken seven wins from their last 15 matches, including a 1-0 friendly victory over Iceland in June, a sign of steady progress under the manager who guided them to France in 2016. While qualifying began for most of Europe back in March,...

Club Brugge 6 - 0 Rangers (Club Brugge won 9-1 on aggregate) Russell Martin’s Rangers crashed out of the Champions League in humiliating fashion, suffering a record-equalling six-goal defeat against Club Brugge to seal a heavy aggregate loss. Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Jan Breydelstadion Pre match atmosphere Before kick-off Martin insisted Rangers were “calm” despite a stuttering start to the season, but supporters are unlikely to share that sentiment with Celtic due at Ibrox  on Sunday. A closer look at a terrible first 45 minutes An error-strewn opening eight minutes in Belgium encapsulated Martin’s difficult start as manager, with Rangers five goals down by the interval. The defence crumbled as  Nicolo Tresoldi ’s diving header found the net and Max Aarons was dismissed three minutes later for dragging down  Christos Tzolis  after a simple ball sliced through the back line. Captain Hans Vanaken headed in from a corner before the hosts scor...

Aberdeen 2 - 2 FCSB Dante Polvara and Ester Sokler came off the bench to breathe life into Aberdeen’s Europa League ambitions, rescuing a draw against 10-man FCSB after trailing by two goals. Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Pittodrie Pre match atmosphere Defensive errors threatened to undo the Scottish Cup winners in the play-off first leg at Pittodrie, even after the Romanian champions were reduced to 10 men for almost an hour. Jack Milne and Gavin Molloy collided under a high ball, allowing Daniel Birligea to break the deadlock while both sides were still at full strength. Just after the interval, Molloy and substitute Mats Knoester failed to clear their lines and Birligea capitalised again, squaring for Darius Olaru to double the lead. That lapse undermined the advantage Aberdeen might have gained from Juri Cisotti ’s dismissal shortly before half-time for a rash challenge on Nicolas Milanovic . READ MORE |  Europa League 25/26 season But Polvara ’s introduction shifted the m...

Rangers 1 - 3 Club Brugge  Rangers’ hopes of reaching the Champions League group stage were left in tatters after a shambolic opening spell allowed Club Brugge to seize control Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Ibrox Russell Martin ’s side were torn apart in the first 20 minutes, conceding three goals that exposed defensive flaws which have lingered since the start of the season.  For a head coach still under scrutiny from supporters, the lure of Champions League revenue looked like a potential lifeline, yet the night only brought further questions about his team’s resilience. Romeo Vermant opened the scoring after three minutes, pouncing on Nasser Djiga ’s failure to deal with a routine ball before lobbing Jack Butland from distance. Jorne Spileers doubled the advantage soon after, unmarked from a corner, and Brandon Mechele ’s fierce drive made it three before the match had even reached the 20-minute mark. Ibrox, initially stunned into silence, turned to anger as Rangers s...

Viktoria Plzeň 2 - 1 Rangers (Rangers won 4-2 on aggregate) Rangers reached the Champions League play-off stage after surviving a testing night against Viktoria Plzen Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Doosan Aréna Post match in Plzen Lyall Cameron’s second-half equaliser proved the key moment for Russell Martin’s side, who fell behind early and later conceded again during a fraught evening in which Plzen squandered a host of opportunities. Having overcome a tough test against Panathinaikos in the previous round, Rangers’ three-goal advantage from the first leg always looked sufficient to see them through. Yet against opponents seemingly a step down in quality from the Greeks, this encounter turned out to be a far greater challenge than anticipated.  One Rangers fan told us: "It's better to be lucky than good."  They'll almost certainly require a combination of the two if they are to progress to the lucrative League Phase of the Champions League and potentially bring i...

Rangers 3-0 Viktoria Plzen Rangers took a huge towards progression to the Champions League play-offs after a comfortable win over Viktoria Plzen. Name | Mark Lee Stadium | Ibrox A closer look at what happened  There were a few surprised looks when captain James Tavernier and Nicolas Raskin were among four players left out for this tie. Cyriel Dessers was handed his first start of the season and played a key role in setting up summer arrival Djeidi Gassama to open the scoring, the forward continuing his fine run of form in Europe. New signing Oliver Antman, who joined only on Tuesday, slotted seamlessly into the attack alongside Dessers and Gassama. The trio showed a fluidity that had been lacking, with Gassama linking superbly with his new team-mate before Antman was brought down in the box by Matej Vydra. READ MORE | Champions League match reports from the 2025/2026 season Dessers stepped up to convert the penalty just before half-time, and the lead was extended early in the s...

Rangers 2 - 0 Panathinaikos Goals from Findlay Curtis and Djeidi Gassama secured a 2-0 victory over Panathinaikos in the first leg of their Champions League second-round qualifier. Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Ibrox  Rangers were indebted to goalkeeper Jack Butland for a string of vital saves, particularly during a first half in which the Greek visitors carved out the better chances and largely controlled proceedings. Curtis shifted the momentum with a thunderous effort early in the second half before Gassama, introduced from the bench, sealed the win with a moment of individual brilliance after Giorgos Vagiannidis was dismissed. Backed by a typically boisterous Ibrox crowd, Rangers made a lively start but were soon forced onto the back foot. Butland produced an outstanding save to deny a powerful header before Nemanja Maksimovic skewed the rebound against the post with the goal gaping. The former England international was called into action again to thwart Erik Palmer-Brown, wh...

Linfield 1 - 1 Shelbourne (Shelbourne won 2-1 on aggregate) Shelbourne booked their place in the second qualifying round of the Champions League after eliminating ten-man Linfield Author | Mark Lee Stadium | Windsor Park Leading by a single goal from the first leg at Tolka Park, Shels extended their advantage midway through the first half thanks to a composed finish from Allistair Coote. The hosts equalised before the break through a Chris Shields penalty, but a second-half red card for Ben Hall all but ended Linfield’s hopes of turning the tie around. Shelbourne will now face Qarabag in the next round, while Linfield drop into the Europa Conference League, where they will meet Lithuanian champions Žalgiris. A closer look at what happened The second leg had added significance for David Healy, who was taking charge of Linfield for the 500th time. His side responded to the occasion with a positive opening in the south Belfast sunshine, pushing Shels back early on. A Kirk Millar free-...

Rangers 1 - 1 Celtic Celtic came from behind to deny Rangers a third consecutive Old Firm win, as Adam Idah’s second-half equaliser earned the visitors a point and preserved a long-standing unbeaten record at Ibrox. Author - Mark Lee Stadium - Ibrox Nicolas Raskin saw an early header ruled out for offside before Cyriel Dessers struck just before half-time with his 25th goal of the season. But Idah levelled shortly after the interval, silencing the home crowd and compounding Rangers’ frustration. The draw means Rangers have failed to win at Ibrox for the seventh straight fixture. This is an unwelcome run for the temporary Rangers boss as he looks to get the job permanently. A closer look at what happened at Ibrox. For Celtic, the point ensures they maintain their 17-point advantage at the top of the Scottish Premiership, having already secured the title with games to spare. While the league may be settled, the suggestion this match was a dead rubber never quite rang true. Celtic, br...

Will there be new owners for Rangers? Rangers have confirmed for the first time that they are in active discussions with a group of American investors, including the San Francisco 49ers, regarding a possible takeover of the club. Author - Mark Lee Speculation around external interest had emerged earlier this year. The Ibrox club has now said that "productive conversations" are taking place, with a joint statement noting that the group is seeking a controlling stake in the Scottish side. No timeline has been given for a potential agreement, though those familiar with the situation previously suggested that a deal could be finalised between April and June. Among the key figures involved is Paraag Marathe, chairman of Leeds United and a leading executive behind 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm of the NFL franchise. He is understood to be playing a central role in the discussions. READ MORE:  Rangers Europa League adventure ends in Bilbao READ MORE:  End of the road for ...

England 3 - 0 Latvia Thomas Tuchel made it two wins from two as England manager with a World Cup qualifying victory over Latvia at Wembley. Author - Mark Lee Stadium - Wembley Stadium Just as in their previous match against Albania, England found themselves frustrated for long spells against a side ranked 140th in the world before finally converting dominance into goals. Chelsea captain Reece James marked his first England start since September 2022 with a superb free kick from 20 yards, curling the ball into the net seven minutes before half time. Despite controlling possession, England struggled to extend their lead as Latvia defended doggedly. That changed in the 68th minute when Harry Kane turned in his 71st international goal from Declan Rice’s cross. With Latvia tiring, substitute Eberechi Eze added a third with a deflected strike 14 minutes from time, scoring his first England goal. The result saw Tuchel become the first England men’s manager to win his opening two competiti...

Hearts 3 - 1 Dundee Sander Kartum lit up Tynecastle with two superb goals as Hearts booked their place in the Scottish Cup semi-finals at the expense of Dundee. Author - Mark Lee Stadium - Tynecastle Park The January signing from Brann broke his Hearts duck with a stunning strike from 20 yards to give the hosts a first-half advantage. Joe Shaughnessy nodded in Ziyad Larkeche's cross for parity after the interval but Simon Murray's headed own goal from Blair Spittal's free-kick put the hosts ahead again. And Kartum spun and sliced a low shot through the Dundee defence to ensure Neil Critchley's side progressed to the last four. Elton Kabangu, Calem Nieuwenhof and Alan Forrest were denied by Trevor Carson as Hearts pressed for a more emphatic victory. However, many fans would have accepted a fairly routine victory to reach the semi-finals. Critchley and his players can spend the next three days sizing up their potential opponents on the weekend of 19 and 20 April. The...