This evening marks Glasgow Rangers’ return to European competition as they get ready to travel to Greece to play Olympiacos in the Europa League.
The Light Blues defeated FCSB 4-0 in their most recent match at Ibrox, and they have now won two of their first three league phase games. They have had a rather good start to their European trip this season, defeating Ligue 1 team Lyon 4-1 and defeating Malmo 2-0.
Additionally, Philippe Clement’s team enters this matchup with the Greek powerhouses fresh off a 2-1 victory against Motherwell in Sunday’s League Cup semifinals. The Light Blues were behind 1-0 at halftime at Hampden Park, but goals from Cyriel Dessers and Nedim Bajrami completed their comeback.
Clement, in particular, will undoubtedly have been relieved by the turnaround after Football Insider revealed prior to the game that he might lose his job if the team lost against Motherwell. Given the uncertainty surrounding Tom Lawrence’s availability, the Belgian manager may have to make a change in the center of the park for this matchup with Olympiacos.
Tom Lawrence’s fitness issue After suffering an injury in the first half, the Wales international, who had started against Motherwell in number ten, was substituted out of the match. He was substituted out before halftime due to a thigh injury, indicating that the Gers did not believe the midfield player could play for at least the remainder of the half.
Eleven minutes after Andy Halliday gave the opposition a 1-0 lead, Clement replaced the former Derby County star in the 36th minute when the Welshman looked to hurt his thigh with a shot.
Because he didn’t contribute to the game before his injury, GlasgowWorld gave him a player rating of only 4/10 for his performance in the final minutes.
The Light Blues ended up trailing 1-0 at halftime because the Rangers midfielder had a hard time getting into the game in the first half or so, though he was by no means the only player who struggled during that time.
Despite Lawrence’s lackluster performance against Motherwell before leaving, his injury would still be a setback to Clement given his performance thus far this season.
Tom Lawrence’s form for Rangers this season
The 30-year-old midfield whiz has emerged as a key player for the former Club Brugge head coach across all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign.
After a return of two goals and three assists in 23 appearances in the Scottish Premiership last season, expectations were not high for the attacking midfielder ahead of the current term.
However, Lawrence has already racked up three goals, three ‘big chances’ created, and two assists in eight appearances in the top-flight for the Gers this season, which shows that he has taken his game to the next level in terms of his contributions in the final third.
The experienced maestro, who assisted a goal in the 2-1 defeat to Aberdeen last time out in the Premiership, has showcased his ability to make an impact at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals from the number ten position.
Crucially, Lawrence has also stepped up in the Europa League for the Scottish giants, after managing one goal and zero assists in five appearances in the competition in the 2023/24 campaign.
the Gers ace has made a strong start to the league phase of the new-look format, with three goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in three appearances.
Lawrence found the back of the net in the wins over both Malmo and FCSB, which shows that he positively contributed to two big results for Rangers, and that is why his absence from the trip to Olympiacos is a blow.
Lovelace and Igamane might be retained on the bench to cover different offensive positions while retaining their youthful vitality to contribute in the second half. Diomande, who was once praised as “fantastic” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, ought to start because of his inventiveness and his Europa League performance against FCSB at Ibrox last time out.
After coming off the bench at halftime versus FCSB, the 23-year-old star stole the show in the second half, creating one “big chance” for Vaclav Cerny, who scored the game’s third goal. His pass success rate was 95%.
Diomande has also offered attacking quality in the Premiership for the Light Blues this season, with three direct contributions in seven starts.
In his three appearances in the Europa League, though, the central midfielder has also showcased his defensive abilities, with 2.0 tackles and interceptions per game and a duel success rate of 52%, which shows that he can hold himself in physical contests.
Therefore, the 23-year-old dynamo could be a smart selection in the number ten position in a European away match, as he can provide defensive protection in front of Connor Barron and Nicolas Raskin, whilst also having the ability to make an impact in the final third.
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