Glasgow Rangers delivered arguably their most complete performance of the season in their 2-0 win over Malmö.
The Europa League victory saw the Light Blues dominate from start to finish, with the only complaint being that there should have been another three or four goals added to the final total.
Three points is all that matters, however, and Philippe Clement will be hoping the momentum can carry forward onto Sunday, as they face Hibernian in the Premiership.
Due to the short turnaround, the Belgian may make a few changes to his starting XI. Despite the good display, there was one player who wasn’t quite at his best – Vaclav Cerny.
Vaclav Cerny’s game in numbers vs Malmö
The Czech winger joined on loan for the season from Wolfsburg, already scoring once and grabbing two assists in eight games prior to the Malmö clash.
He was deployed in his favourite right-wing position against the Swedish champions yet couldn’t quite find the spark that he has shown in previous games this term.
The winger failed to score, register an assist or even make a key pass during his time on the pitch. He also missed a big chance while taking two shots that were both off-target, summing up his evening.
Cerny won only three of his eight total duels while losing possession 13 times and was eventually replaced by Ross McCausland.
Goals
0
Assists
0
Big chances missed
1
Dribble attempts (successful)
1 (1)
Total shots
4
Possession lost
13
The Northern Irishman capped off an impressive cameo by scoring the second goal of the match with a neat finish off the post.
The question for Clement now is, will Cerny start on Sunday? Or is there other options ready to step in for the league tie?
Why Clement could drop Cerny for Hibs clash
If the Czech star is dropped from the starting XI, McCausland is the prime candidate to replace him.
The youngster hasn’t quite had the same opportunities this term due to Cerny’s arrival, but he has scored twice in all competitions for the Gers.
McCausland has started only twice all season, with those coming in the Champions League qualifiers against Dynamo Kyiv.
Despite averaging just 33 minutes per match in the Premiership, the 21-year-old has succeeded with 50% of his dribble attempts, won 53% of his total duels, averages 1.7 shots and 0.7 key passes per game, showing that he likes to make an impact during his limited time on the pitch.
With rotation going to be key for Clement, this could see McCausland make his first league start of the campaign against the Easter Road side this weekend.
Given his impact from the bench in midweek, perhaps Clement will stick with a tried and trusted XI that got the job done in Sweden.
The main focus will be securing all three points, especially as the Gers are trailing both Celtic and Aberdeen in the race for the league title.
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ByDan EmerySep 27, 2024