Dessers has debut to forget as Rangers' 20-game unbeaten run in opening day fixtures ends

Rangers suffered a stuttering start to the season as they were shocked 1-0 by Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on the opening day of the new Scottish Premiership season on Saturday evening. 

The BBC has reported that Kilmarnock ended Rangers' 20-game unbeaten run in opening top-flight fixtures. 

As widely speculated in the days leading up to the game, Cyriel Dessers, a summer signing from Cremonese, was named in Rangers starting lineup, while Leon Balogun was a non-playing substitute. 

Dessers led Rangers attack and was supported by Sam Lammers and Abdallah Sima. 

Bradley Lyons was the quickest to react to a long thrown sent to the Rangers box and stabbed the ball into the back of the net in the 65th minute for what proved to be the game-winning goal.

If the statistics are anything to go by, Dessers had a debut to forget and it wasn't surprising to see him replaced by Danilo in the 62nd minute. 

Of the twenty two players to start the game, the Super Eagles striker had the least touches of the ball (16), and was accurate in 63.6 percent of his passes, while making only one key pass and winning one aerial duel. 

His best chance to get on the scoresheet was in the 39th minute but he shot straight at the Kilmarnock goalkeeper. 

Up next, Rangers face Servette in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League and Dessers will hope to rediscover the form that saw him win the Eredivisie top scorer award in the 2019-2020 season. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

Photo Credit: kilmarnockfc.co.uk

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