Rangers supporters were enthused by the prospect of Fashion Sakala, but his first start seems to have left them officially captivated.

The 24-year-old seized his inaugural Ibrox audition with both hands, contributing hugely to what was a thoroughly impressive 2-1 win over Real Madrid. With the new campaign only days away, this squad looks competitive, hungry and ready to go for more. 

Adam Thornton has already produced an excellent long-read piece on Sakala, reviewing his time at KV Oostende and the development he has undergone as a forward.

However, Sunday’s match offered insight into how his attributes will improve this team collectively. 

He had been given a run-out against Brighton the afternoon prior, but this was his true arrival. He took his second-half goal brilliantly and led the front line with intelligence in a performance that clearly pleased his manager.

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Steven Gerrard told RangersTV post-match: “He’s been an absolute pleasure to work with in the opening week to 10 days, but there is loads more to come. You can see he’s exciting.

“We still need to help him and polish the diamond, but hopefully he will go on to be the player we all expect.”

This was a game Rangers dominated, out-shooting their opponents 21-8 and testing goalkeeper Andriy Lunin on eight occasions.

While of course not resemblant of the game state in a home domestic match, much of the Zambian’s involvement came during spells of possession and not when the hosts were in transition. This allowed us to see how he will supplement build-up and contribute when his team pressure the opponent in and around the box.

Where pace is concerned, Sakala’s reputation proceeded him but it was his traits on the ball along with his movement off of it that most impressed on Sunday.

Deployed as the team’s central attacker, he was impactful when picked out by teammates in possession. He didn’t drop quite as deep as we’re accustomed to seeing Alfredo Morelos come in search of the ball, but he was always available as a passing option if space behind the defence was not forthcoming.

The home side was able to transition up the pitch really effectively and aggressively, occupying all zones through fluid interchanging and flexibility, over-powering the Real midfield who lined up with two attacking midfielders in Isco and Odegaard alongside Antonio Blanco.

The addition of Sakala and Lundstram in European fixtures is expected to give this team more athleticism, and we were able to see just how effective they were in exploiting space and carrying the side forward.

More than once, Sakala’s distribution on the turn after receiving the ball from the left triggered the offensive runs of Lundstram and Tavernier from the right, in what was a visually appealing pendulum-like movement.

He also dragged opponents out of position and retained control in tight areas, notably before Ryan Kent's pop shot in the first half.

Glimpses too were offered of the threat the forward can pose when one-on-one and in space. When Scott Wright slipped him through on goal he was unfortunate to see a shot blocked. If not for a cynical body-check from Nacho, he looked sure to surge beyond the Los Blancos backline just inside their half.

With Sakala having not played for a team who is the strongest in their league, and subsequently faced with breaking down defences week-on-week, how he coped playing with his back to goal more frequently was an item of interest. Early indications demonstrate it won’t take him long to adapt to the domestic demands faced by a Rangers player.

This duel threat of possessing the capacity to trouble opposing defences in front or behind them is what excites most about the new addition. For all Morelos’ strength in rolling players and progressing his side up the pitch, the pace his new teammate will bring offers this side a central threat they’ve not previously possessed.

What about crosses? We know that some of this team’s best qualities come in the form of creativity from the flanks and again, early indications of Sakala’s movement in the box offered reason for optimism.

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He was unfortunate to not get on the end of more than one cutback. Throwing himself at a fizzed ball from Lundstram inside the opening two minutes and losing his marker expertly to set up Kent's shot that struck the upright.

Notable also was his positioning without the ball, both when his team pressed Madrid aggressively and on the odd occasion when they fell back. As Gerrard alludes to, his time working with the squad has been short but ultimately successful.

When the Ibrox side defends in the 4-3-3 mid-block we’re so accustomed to seeing, the timing with which they shuttle across the pitch and distances left between players to stay compact is of real importance.

In our detailed breakdown of Michael Beale’s tactical philosophy this week, he explained the benefits of pressing “from in to out”, to keep possession in front and around the block and protect central areas.

The fact Sakala fitted so seamlessly into a team performance will be encouraging to the management team.

“One thing I will say is that he’s come in with an incredible attitude," he Gerrard said.

“He’s come here with energy, he’s been bright, wanting to learn and pick up every bit of information. He’s smiling, he’s enjoying it and he’s grateful to be here."

A goal in many ways felt inevitable and fittingly it arrived in the 55th minute. Glen Kamara stole possession and the Zambian forward darted past Nacho to finish into the near corner.

His shot was emphatic and celebration joyous as he shared his first moment with the supporters at Ibrox. His post-match comments given to RangersTV signalled he had been briefed prior about what he could expect from a full stadium.

“Yesterday I was surprised with the noise, the atmosphere was nice,” he said referring to the Brighton match.

“But still, my teammates were telling me that I have to wait until the stadium is full, that I haven’t seen how the stadium bounces. So I’m waiting for that.”

Whether or not he is given the nod against Livingston remains to be seen, it's safe to conclude early however that Sakala will bring new dimensions to Rangers in both domestic and European competition.