Glasgow Rangers' hopes of enjoying another lengthy Europa League run were ended on Thursday evening, with Philippe Clement's side slipping to a 1-0 defeat at home to Portuguese side Benfica courtesy of a breakaway goal from Rafa Silva.
The manner in which the Old Firm outfit were caught out on the counter by the visitors will no doubt sting as far as Clement is concerned, with the Ibrox side having initially given themselves a strong chance of progression following the 2-2 draw in the first-leg.
Alas, it was not meant to be for the 2022 finalists, with the Scottish Premiership title hopefuls left to reflect on what might have been had defensive lapses not cost them across both legs, with blame also needing to be levelled at those at the top end of the pitch for failing to take their chances.
The guilty party once again was that of Cyriel Dessers, with the Nigerian marksman seemingly coming up short on the big stage far too frequently…
Cyriel Dessers' performance in numbers vs Benfica
On the face of it, it may appear that Dessers has enjoyed a promising first season in Glasgow following his £4.5m move from Cremonese over the summer, with the 29-year-old having chalked up 16 goals in 43 games in all competitions.
A respectable return indeed, yet on closer inspection, it is easy to see why the jury is out on the striker, as he has remarkable already missed 20 'big chances' in the league to date – notably spurning a gilt-edged opening in the most recent Old Firm derby back in December after being caught on his heels.
That inability to deliver in the pressurised moments has also been laid bare by the Belgian-born forward's return of just one goal in the Europa League this season, having failed to convert early in the second half against the Primeira Liga side on Thursday.
That spurned chance came amid a performance in which the experienced number nine also made just 18 touches in total as he struggled to get into the game, having also won just four of his 11 total duels, with it set to be no surprise if Dessers is ditched to the bench this weekend.
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He is out of contract at Ibrox in 2025.
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The £27k-per-week brute certainly wasn't alone in producing an underwhelming display on a disappointing night for the Gers, however, with January arrival Mohamed Diomande among those who should also be fearing for his place ahead of Sunday's trip to Dundee.
Mohamed Diomande's performance vs Benfica
While Dessers may have been an obvious villain for that spurned chance just after the break, Diomande was another of Clement's starters who failed to make his mark when needed, with the Scottish Sun's Andy Devlin writing that he 'chose the worst possible time to deliver his poorest performance'.
As Devlin – who awarded the midfielder a measly 5/10 match rating – also noted in his post-match piece, the new addition was 'too slow' and 'too hesitant', having also perhaps been culpable for allowing matchwinner Silva to break clear in what was the game's defining moment.
Although the young Ivorian has made a promising start to life at Ibrox with two goals and one assist from just his first ten games across all fronts, this was one outing that the 22-year-old will wish to forget in a hurry, as he notably lost the ball on 17 occasions as an indication of his struggles.
Not only did the 5 foot 9 menace prove something of a liability on the ball, but he was also hardly at his best in a defensive sense after winning just two of his nine ground duels and being dribbled past on two occasions, having been unable to get the better of the likes of Joao Neves in the centre of the park.
Stats
Diomande
Neves
Touches
70
79
Pass accuracy rate
84%
82%
Ground duels won
2
12
Aerial duels won
0
2
Possession lost
17
16
Fouls won
1
4
Tackles made
1
5
Dribbled past
2
1
The hope will be that Diomande will simply learn from such a difficult outing against elite opposition, although with the Light Blues now needing to turn their attention back towards domestic action and the hunt for the title, he may find himself out of the starting lineup this weekend.
