His winning streak may have come to an end but there is mounting evidence being slapped in the face by one of Giovanni van Bronckhorst ’s leather duelling gloves is a dangerous business.
Four straight domestic wins for the Dutchman marked an impressive beginning to his Rangers career.
In France he challenged a longtime mentor to a tactical showdown and walked away unscathed again with arguably the most impressive notch yet added to his belt.
This may have been a match which did not matter in the grand scheme of things.
For van Bronckhorst, sharing honours with one time Feyenoord team-mate Peter Bosz represents another hugely impressive baby step in his Ibrox tenure, given that he managed it with only half a first team.
Had it not been for Calvin Bassey’s sloppy own goal at the start of the second half Rangers might have taken all three points after going in front through Scott Wright’s deflected effort shortly before the break.
Even the feisty French would have struggled to put up a decent argument had van Bronckhorst headed home with their Bosz in his bag.
The Dutchman had promised to hand out chances to a bunch of fringe men and he was as good as his word.
In came Jon McLaughlin in goal, Nathan Patterson at right- back and John Lundstram anchoring the midfield alongside Glen Kamara.
With Alfredo Morelos and Fashion Sakala both a booking away from a ban, Wright and Kemar Roofe were given starts.
The only slight surprise was the inclusion of talisman Ryan Kent who may have expected to be given the night off too.
Instead, he was running the left flank with Wright on the other as van Bronckhorst tweaked his formation to 4-2-3-1.
But these were minor tickles compared to the overhaul of Lyon’s starting XI which included nine changes in total and starts for four teenagers in Bosz’s outfield ten.
While Rangers skipper James Tavernier was resting his legs on the bench, Lyon’s vice captain Moussa Dembele was brought back in for a second appearance in the group stages.
The sight of the former Celtic striker walking out under Lyon’s disco lights might have sent a shiver down the spine of those travelling fans who had managed to make it to France.
Hearts were in mouths 10 minutes in when Xherdan Shaqiri picked Dembele out for the first time with a floated probe over the top.
The Frenchman’s horribly fluffed finish – scuffing the ball straight into McLaughlin’s arms – was an early sign of ring rust.
That chance aside, Rangers had opened up brightly with Kent looking to cause huge trouble for rookie full-back Hugo Vogel.
The winger won a free-kick after skinning the youngster and having his shirt tugged and
from Borna Barisic’s delivery, Lundstram headed a half-chance over the top.
It was all predictably low-key stuff but Rangers looked comfortable and assured.
Midway through the half Kent toyed with Vogel again, this time with a dip of the shoulder and a nutmeg, before slipping a pass through for Roofe who took the shot on early and smacked the base of Julian Pollersbeck’s
right-hand post.
Lyon responded immediately by setting Dembele off on another gallop, forcing McLaughlin to race to the edge of his own box to intervene.
The keeper used a clenched fist to pop the ball off the striker’s thigh but then ended up back pedalling into no-man’s land as Lyon’s players came flooding into his area looking for a finish. Rangers survived because McLaughlin’s defenders had scrambled back in even greater numbers to snuff out the danger.
Patterson and Wright were beginning to click down the Rangers right as the half wore on.
But when the breakthrough arrived, five minutes before half-time, it was Kent who was the creator in chief.
He spooned an impudent chip over Vogel, who had to race to the byeline in pursuit of Kamara.
The Finn piled on the punishment by hitting the brakes and sending the traumatised teenager for a baguette and frites before picking out Wright on the 18-yard line with a perfectly measured cut back.
Wright’s first-time shot took a wicked deflection on its way, sending Pollersbeck the wrong way as it crashed into the net.
Van Bronckhorst replaced Kamara with Steve Davis at the break but before the Northern Irishman had time to grab the midfield by the scruff of the neck Rangers had given up the softest of equalisers.
There seemed minimal danger at first when Rayan Cherki skipped away from Barisic on the left side of McLaughlin’s box.
But the gifted youngster flashed a low cross into the danger area and it was enough to spook Bassey into jabbing out a boot and directing it into the back of his own net.
This really was a needless, careless concession.
With French tails suddenly up, it was also a test of the limits of Rangers’ resolve.
On the hour, and with pressure building, the manager made two more changes, swapping Wright and Ianis Hagi with Scott Arfield and Juninho Bacuna.
It was the home side who came close to going in front in 69 minutes when Castello Lukeba got a free head on a corner and sent it wide from just six yards.
Soon after, van Bronckhorst made another change, replacing Roofe with Joe Aribo in a switch which suggested one point would be plenty for him.
There were close shaves at both ends in the dying seconds but the fact that he left with what he came for might be the most telling indication yet that van Bronckhorst has fitted into this new role like hand in glove.
What he needs now is a Sheriff in town in Monday’s draw for the play-offs.
