Rangers question marks remain as defence is suspect in friendly defeat by Olympiakos

The final part of Rangers’ home trilogy of pre-season friendlies ended as it began, in defeat, as Olympiakos triumphed at a sodden Ibrox.

Olympiakos' Konstantinos Fortounis opens the scoring as the Greek club prevailed at Ibrox against Rangers.

Ten days out from his team’s first competitive outing of the season, question marks still remain over Michael Beale’s optimal line-up as the manager continues to tinker with personnel and tactics during a summer of upheaval. A trip to play Hoffenheim on Saturday will provide the last chance for experimentation.

News that Connor Goldson, Dujon Sterling and Leon King are all expected back at training within the week will provide some comfort on a night when Rangers looked suspect defensively, in the second half especially when Joao Carvalho plundered a double. A James Tavernier penalty did not assuage the 29,000 in attendance as Ibrox grumbled with frustration.

Beale handed a first appearance of the summer to Robby McCrorie. The goalkeeping understudy’s only significant action didn’t arrive until the stroke of half-time when Konstantinos Fortounis’s deflected effort flew past him. Jon McLaughlin replaced McCrorie for the second half and you do wonder just when – if at all – the young Scot will be seen in a Rangers jersey again.

This final home dress rehearsal plodded along at a mostly pedestrian pace beyond the occasional bad-tempered outburst that, at times, made this a friendly in name alone. Nicolas Raskin lashed in an early 30-yard volley that was repelled by Alexandrios Paschalakis, while Sam Lammers had decent chances – one in either half – also well saved.

Rangers’ equaliser came from a familiar source early in the second half. Todd Cantwell looked to be brushed only marginally as he tried to circumnavigate the goalkeeper but that was enough for the forward to go down and for Steven McLean to award the penalty. Tavernier stroked it home.

Ibrox joy, however, was fleeting as Olympiakos quickly claimed their second. It was a moment in which the Rangers defence did not cover themselves in glory, failing to deal with a ball in and allowing Carvalho to convert. When the Olympiakos forward then thrashed in a low shot for his team’s third, Rangers’ hopes of a victory disappeared with them.