UEL: Olayinka nets for Slavia Prague as Balogun sees red in Rangers defeat

Scottish champions Glasgow Rangers crashed out of the Europa League with a 3-1 loss on aggregate to Peter Olayinka’s Slavia Prague at the Ibrox Stadium on Thursday night.

Super Eagles winger Olayinka passed a late fitness test to be included in Slavia’s starting lineup, while Rangers duo Leon Balogun and Joe Aribo made the starting XI, but compatriot Calvin Bassey was an unused substitute.

FULL-TIME: Rangers 0-2 Slavia Prague | (Agg 1-3)

Our long @EuropaLeague journey comes to an end.

— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) March 18, 2021

The visitors had a great start as Olayinka netted the opener in the fourteenth minute, the number 9 powered the ball into the near post with a header after getting in front of Rangers center back Connor Goldson.

Balogun went into the referee’s notebook after he was penalised for a foul on Provod on 18 minutes.

Olayinka made way for Lukas Masopust in the 58th minute as he wasn’t fit enough to go the full ninety.

We are in the @EuropaLeague Quarter-finals ❗️❗️❗️#ransla #UEL pic.twitter.com/r1y4Tt5eFZ

— SK Slavia Prague EN (@slavia_eng) March 18, 2021

Read Also: Chelsea join Man Utd in Camavinga transfer race

However, Rangers played the last seventeen minutes with nine men after Balogun was dismissed for a second bookable offence and things got worse for Steven Gerrard’s team as Nicolae Stanciu doubled the Cech side advantage from a free-kick, in the 74th minute.

Intrestingly, Aribo was among the five Rangers players cautioned during the match as the match ref tried to check act of indiscipline from both side on the night.