UEL: Rangers Thrash Nice 4-1 in Europa League Rout

Stunning Rangers Performance Leaves Nice Reeling

Their dominance paid dividends in the 35th minute, as Rangers embarked on a goal-scoring spree...

Rangers produced a scintillating display to thrash OGC Nice 4-1 in the UEFA Europa League, keeping their European dreams alive.

Rangers delivered a breathtaking performance in the South of France, demolishing OGC Nice 4-1 in the UEFA Europa League. This convincing victory kept Rangers' European dreams alive, while Nice suffered their first home defeat of the season.

The two teams entered the match with similar unbeaten records, and it was Nice who initially dominated proceedings. Badredine Bouanani unleashed a spectacular effort that narrowly missed the target, leaving Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland beaten.

Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland was tested once more within the opening 15 minutes, but John Souttar's timely intervention cleared the danger. From that point on, the Scottish side seized control of the match, dominating the remainder of the first half.

Their dominance paid dividends in the 35th minute, as Rangers embarked on a goal-scoring spree that would see them take a stunning 3-0 lead into the break. The opening goal came courtesy of Vaclav Cerny's precisely drilled effort from just inside the box. Less than three minutes later, Rangers struck again, capitalizing on some woeful defending from the Nice backline. Mohamed Diomande exploited the vulnerability, racing through the defense before poking the ball home to double Rangers' advantage.

The defensive woes of Nice reached comical proportions in stoppage time, as Marcin Bulka rashly sprinted off his line, only to be rounded by Hamza Igamane. With the goal vacant, Igamane effortlessly slotted the ball into the empty net, further compounding Nice's misery.

The interval brought a much-needed change for Nice, as Franck Haise introduced Tanguy Ndombele. The French side began the second half brightly, with Gaetan Laborde forcing Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland to make a spectacular fingertip save. Hicham Boudaoui then unleashed a stunning long-range strike, but Butland was equal to the task, producing an impressive save to preserve his side's lead.

Butland's crucial save proved pivotal, as Rangers capitalized on another Nice defensive blunder to extend their lead to 4-0 in the 54th minute. Pablo Rosario's egregious error saw him pass the ball directly into the feet of Hamza Igamane, who seized the opportunity to drive into the box and find the far corner with a composed finish.

With a commanding 4-0 lead and 30 minutes remaining, Rangers manager Clement opted to rotate his squad, making four substitutions to rest key players. The multitude of changes disrupted the flow of the game, and a shell-shocked Nice side struggled to regain their footing, rarely threatening Rangers' defense after conceding the fourth goal.

In the dying embers of the match, Nice managed to salvage a modicum of pride as Badredine Bouanani expertly curled home an inch-perfect free-kick. However, this late consolation was mere window dressing, as Rangers had already secured a resounding victory. This triumph extends Rangers' unbeaten run in France to six games (W3, D3) and solidifies their position in the play-off spots with three matches remaining. Notably, two of those upcoming fixtures pit Rangers against Premier League opposition in Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

OGC Nice's dismal European campaign continued, as they worryingly slipped to second-bottom in the standings. With a meager two points from five Europa League games, and still searching for their first win, Nice's prospects of qualification appear increasingly bleak.