Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers believes the club’s 4-1 defeat to Lyon in the Europa League will serve as a “learning curve” for Connor Barron, after the young midfielder’s mistake led to Lyon’s second goal at Ibrox.
Barron, 22, made a costly error with a blind pass that was easily intercepted by Corentin Tolisso, allowing Alexandre Lacazette to score his first of the night. The goal paved the way for Lyon’s comfortable victory, but Dessers defended his teammate, emphasizing that Barron has been impressive since joining Rangers in the summer.
“Was that a big learning curve for Connor? For sure. Look, he’s been amazing until now. But this is also part of being a football player,” Dessers said, as quoted by the Daily Record.
“Sometimes you miss a chance or misplace a pass like he did, and the other team scores from it. It’s also about the quality and difference at this level. If he did that on the weekend, maybe it wouldn’t be punished. But in Europe, they immediately take advantage. That’s part of football.”
Dessers also noted the difference in quality between Rangers and teams like Lyon, highlighting the French club’s ability to capitalize on mistakes. “When you have the money Lyon have and can buy players at that level, it’s normal. The sparks they had on Thursday night, those flashes of quality – they can be defining moments which decide games.”
Despite the tough loss, Dessers expressed confidence in Barron’s resilience: “We’ll support Connor if he needs it. But I expect him to be fine. He’s a good guy with a great mentality, and he just needs to keep going. It was a tough night for us on Thursday and hard to take.”