Malmo 0-2 Rangers: Bajrami and McCausland seal ideal Europa League start

Rangers kicked off their Europa League campaign with an excellent 2-0 victory at Malmo on Thursday.

Nedim Bajrami opened the scoring after just 56 seconds at Eleda Stadion, and though Malmo carved out a couple of good opportunities, Rangers delivered a controlled display to get three points on the board.

Anders Christiansen squandered Malmo’s best chance to restore parity early in the second half, slicing high from the centre of the area.

His miss summed up Malmo’s night in front of goal, as they failed to direct a single shot on target.

Malmo were made to pay for their profligacy when Ross McCausland took it down on the edge of their box and drilled home a fine finish to send the travelling Rangers support into raptures.

Thanks for the warm welcome, @Malmo_FF.

Missing you already. pic.twitter.com/WfK5EMpb0l

— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) September 26, 2024

Data Debrief: Seven heaven

At the seventh time of asking, Rangers claimed their first win over Swedish opposition in European competition, while Malmo are now winless in 15 games in a major continental tournament, losing 14 of those, including each of the last eight.

Rangers accumulated 2.5 expected goals and created five big chances, and Philippe Clement will be thrilled with how his side controlled much of the encounter despite handing possession over to Malmo.

Bajrami’s strike got the ball rolling. It was the first time Rangers scored in the opening minute of a major European match since October 1998, courtesy of Gennaro Gattuso against Beitar Jerusalem in the UEFA Cup.