Oliver Antman made an instant impact in his Rangers debut during a 3-0 win over Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday, 5 August just one day after signing for the club. The Finnish winger impressed on the right flank, contributing an assist and playing a key role in a dominant performance at Ibrox.
Antman at the Center of Penalty Controversy
While Rangers put in a strong display with goals from Djeidi Gassama and Cyriel Dessers, Antman was involved in a controversial moment during the second goal. The winger went down in the box under minimal contact from Viktoria Plzen captain Matej Vydra, leading French referee Clément Turpin to award a penalty converted by Dessers.
Former head of referees, Keith Hackett, criticized the decision, suggesting the referee was deceived. Speaking to Ibrox News, Hackett said:
“The Rangers player felt a slight nudge in the back and chose to fall. The referee bought it and gave the penalty. As long as referees keep giving soft penalties like this, players will keep going to ground. Coaches need to train defenders to be more careful with arm contact this kind of foul is avoidable.”
Antman Shines Despite Penalty Debate
Controversy aside, Antman delivered a standout debut. He and Gassama gave Rangers relentless width, making them a threat down both flanks and opening up space for Dessers and Mohamed Diomande to exploit.
Before joining Rangers, Antman and Gassama’s 2024/25 stats looked like this:
| Player | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oliver Antman | 36 | 6 | 16 |
| Djeidi Gassama | 47 | 8 | 1 |
Fans at Ibrox will hope Antman can build on this explosive debut as the team pushes forward in European competition.
