Champion League
UCL Qualifiers: Cyriel Dessers shines as Rangers cruise past Viktoria Plzen
Published
2 hours agoon
By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Rangers took a commanding 3-0 lead in their UEFA Champions League qualifiers against Viktoria Plzen, thanks to a brace from Djeidi Gassama and a clinical penalty from Cyriel Dessers.
The dominant performance has given the Scottish side a strong advantage ahead of next week’s return leg in the Czech Republic, putting them firmly on track for a spot in the play-off round.
Dessers, who had been sidelined for much of pre-season due to injury, came off the bench to make a significant impact. Rangers manager Russell Martin praised the forward’s all-round contribution, despite not starting the match.
“We scored some real quality goals tonight,” Martin said in his post-match interview.
“Cyriel Dessers did a brilliant job attracting players, creating space for others to run in behind. He held the ball up well and showed great composure.”
Martin also acknowledged Dessers’ return to fitness, explaining that the club had been cautious with his recovery following a slight injury sustained in a previous friendly against Middlesbrough.
“We haven’t been able to play Cyriel from the start yet, but he did great tonight,” he added.
Dessers, who has been the subject of transfer speculation throughout the summer, was reportedly in discussions with AEK Athens, though a deal was never finalized due to disagreements over his transfer fee.
With his standout performance against Plzen and Russell Martin’s continued praise, it appears increasingly likely that the Nigerian striker will remain at Rangers for the foreseeable future.
