Rangers Suffer 0-1 Defeat To Genk As Oh Hyeon-Gyu Scores Winning Goal

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Former Celtic player Oh Hyeon-Gyu returned to haunt Rangers by scoring the decisive goal in Genk's 1-0 victory during their Europa League opener at Ibrox. This result adds pressure on Russell Martin, especially after Mohamed Diomande was sent off in the first half, leaving Rangers with a challenging task ahead.

Rangers began the match strongly, with John Souttar nearly opening the scoring in the 17th minute. His powerful header was impressively cleared off the line by Bryan Heynen. Shortly after, Patrik Hrosovsky's curling shot hit Jack Butland's right post, leaving him stranded. Rangers were then denied a penalty for a handball against Joris Kayembe before Diomande was dismissed in the 41st minute for a high tackle on Zakaria El Ouahdi.

James Tavernier conceded a penalty for fouling Yaimar Medina in the box, but Butland kept Rangers in contention by saving Oh's attempt from 12 yards during first-half stoppage time. Genk intensified their efforts after halftime and were rewarded 55 minutes into the game when Jarne Steuckers' pass split open Rangers' defence, allowing Oh to score past Butland confidently.

Oh thought he had doubled Genk's lead 14 minutes later when he tapped in Hrosovsky's low cross. However, Hrosovsky was offside during the build-up. Despite this setback, Genk maintained their narrow lead as Rangers applied late pressure without success.

Oh made just 52 league appearances for Celtic over two years without scoring against Rangers. However, he excelled on Thursday, leading Genk’s attack with seven shots, an expected goals tally of 2.24 xG, and 11 touches inside the opposition box. He also created five significant chances.

Rangers owe gratitude to Butland, who has saved five of his last six penalties across all competitions (excluding shoot-outs), including both faced in 2025. His efforts kept Rangers competitive despite their numerical disadvantage.

Despite their efforts and late pressure from Rangers, Genk held firm to secure a narrow win at Ibrox. The match highlighted Oh’s ability to perform under pressure and showcased Butland’s penalty-saving prowess once again.