Vaclav Cerny’s first Rangers goal ensured Philippe Clement’s side kick-started their Scottish Premiership campaign with a 2-1 victory over Motherwell at Hampden Park.
Cyriel Dessers opened the scoring (13) but Robin Propper’s own goal pulled Motherwell level just four minutes later.
Cerny impressed on his first start, scoring a stunning goal to restore Rangers’ lead during the opening period (24).
The Czech winger – who set up Dessers’ dramatic leveller in the midweek Champions League third-round qualifier against Dynamo Kyiv – was replaced midway through the second half as Clement turned his focus to the second leg.
Cerny celebrates after restoring Rangers’ lead
Dessers strikes again as Rangers begin to make Hampden home
Rangers’ Cyriel Dessers celebrates after scoring
Dessers scored for the second game in a row as Rangers began their temporary tenure at Hampden Park in unconvincing fashion against their injury-hit opponents.
The Gers striker equalised with the last meaningful kick of the ball in the Champions League qualifier against Dynamo Kyiv in Poland on Tuesday night, and he opened the scoring here – but Clement’s side were less cohesive after the break which invited Well back into the game, leaving the Gers fans on edge in the final stages.
The match began a run of four games at the national stadium home due to a delayed Ibrox refurbishment and they will return for the second leg of their Champions League qualifier against Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday night to face an altogether tougher challenge – and they will need to improve.
It was always going to be an uphill battle for Stuart Kettlewell’s side, who had seven first-team players missing through injury, although highly-rated midfielder Lennon Miller had recovered from a knock.
Dessers celebrates after putting Rangers in front
Apostolos Stamatelopoulos and Steve Seddon made their first starts for the club while captain Paul McGinn also returned.
The Steelmen had the first chance when Miller ran past Propper, the 30-year-old defender signed from FC Twente, but his shot hit the side-netting.
In the 11th minute Cerny threaded a delightful pass through to Scott Wright and he rounded ‘keeper Aston Oxborough only to see his goal-bound shot blocked on the line by McGinn, with the ‘keeper then saving Dessers’ shot from inside the box.
Robin Propper scored an own goal on his Rangers debut
However, the Gers forward latched on to a knockdown by Mohamed Diomande from Ridvan Yilmaz’s cross to fire in from a few yards out.
However, there was a shock for the jubilant home fans soon afterwards when Seddon’s cross from the left hit the head of Gers defender John Souttar before Propper inadvertently put it past ‘keeper Jack Butland.
The Light Blues came right back and Oxborough saved a 25-yard free-kick from James Tavernier. Wright had the ball in the net from the resultant corner but the ball had already gone out of play.
Cerny scores to make it 2-1
But the second goal was on its way from Cerny, who gave the diving Oxborough no chance with a curling shot from the edge of the box after driving in from the right.
The goal settled Rangers and Oxborough saved another free-kick from Tavernier, while there was more Motherwell woe when Zachary Robinson replaced the injured Stamatelopoulos just before the break.
Scott Wright strikes a shot against Motherwell
Rangers took control at the start of the second half but soon replaced Cerny with Ross McCausland and Tom Lawrence with Dujon Sterling, as Tom Sparrow came on for Seddon to make his Motherwell league debut.
Sterling blocked a shot from Miller in a Motherwell attack, set up Dessers to fire an effort high over the bar and then headed a Tavernier corner over the bar.
Rangers boss Philippe Clement watches on at Hampden
However, the game was far from over.
In the 72nd minute, as the Gers defence looked ill at ease again, Robinson’s shot on the turn from 16 yards was brilliantly shoved behind by Butland and the Govan side had to defend the corner.
But Rangers saw the game out and now start preparing for a high-stakes European test.
