Rangers' Europa League struggles continue with 2-1 loss to Sturm Graz

Rangers suffered their second Europa League defeat in as many matches, falling 2-1 to Sturm Graz in a game marred by a disastrous first-half defensive performance.

By Chris Posiano

October 3, 2025 at 5:07 AM

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Rangers found themselves still searching for their first Europa League point of the season after a 2-1 loss to Sturm Graz on Thursday. The Scottish side's defensive frailties in the first half proved costly, as they conceded two goals that left their manager, Russell Martin, under increased pressure.

The match at the UPC-Arena in Graz saw Rangers concede within the first seven minutes from their own throw-in. The second goal came just before halftime from a simple through-ball, exposing their high defensive line. Sky Sports analyst Kris Boyd was critical of the defending, describing it as "embarrassing" and "an absolute shambles."

Despite the early setback, Rangers showed a more determined effort in the second half. Djeidi Gassama scored just four minutes after the break, giving the visitors hope of a comeback. Youssef Chermiti, Derek Cornelius, and John Souttar all came close to equalizing, but their efforts were thwarted by a series of outstanding saves from Sturm Graz goalkeeper Oliver Christensen. The Dane's best stop came in the 89th minute, denying Souttar from close range.

Rangers' head coach, Russell Martin, acknowledged the team's poor start but highlighted their improved performance in the second half. "We just have to be brighter, organised, quicker, help each other more," Martin said. "The mentality is the problem. It's not like we're not doing what we should do on the set-play, we're not doing what we should do on our throw-in. That's a mentality issue in the first bit of the game."

Defender Derek Cornelius echoed Martin's sentiments, noting the team's inconsistent performance. "We didn't start the match well, and that's something we need to stop doing," Cornelius said. "Second half we were chasing the game and we weren't good enough today. We need to do better."

The loss extends Rangers' away clean sheet drought to 22 matches in all competitions, equalling a club record that has stood since January 1897. The team has now lost 37.5% of their matches this season, the highest percentage since the 1985-86 season. Additionally, Rangers have conceded an average of 1.36 goals per game in 2025, the highest since 1961.