Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
Sport
Alan Galindo

Route to the final: How did Rangers reach the Europa League final in Seville

They are just potentially 90 minutes from becoming club legends.

And what a European journey it has been for Rangers this season.

Roll back to the summer and the huge disappointment of losing out in the Champions League qualifiers to Malmo to now sitting on the cusp of lifting a major trophy.

That defeat against the Swedish side led to the Ibrox men dropping into the Europa League play-off round and then boss Steven Gerrard and co just about got through the two-legged tie with a 1-0 aggregate victory over Alashkert.

It was a tough start to the European campaign but group-stage football was secured and the next task was to reach the knockout stages, a feat achieved in the two previous seasons.

Group favourites Lyon inflicted a 2-0 defeat on the Light Blues at Ibrox in the opener and that was followed up with another defeat on matchday two against Sparta Prague.

Four crucial games would follow with four points from a possible six picked up against Brondby before a massive 2-0 win over Sparta Prague in Govan.

That was the big one with Rangers rounding off their group-stage campaign with a 1-1 draw in France against group winners Lyon and securing a spot in the first knockout round.

Now this is where the journey really did get up and running.

The draw paired new boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his troops with Borussia Dortmund - installed as tournament favourites at this point.

But that tag was not one to fear for the Ibrox men who sent shock waves across Europe.

A stunning 4-2 away success in the Bundesliga giants' own backyard installed the belief in this crop and proved to be the catalyst for the journey all the way to Seville.

Skipper James Tavernier - top scorer in the competition with seven goals - has been nothing short of sensational in the knockout rounds and he led from the front as he helped Rangers to a 2-2 draw in the return leg to secure a stunning 6-4 aggregate win.

Red Star Belgrade were next up in the last 16, a stage of the competition Rangers had been unable to progress beyond in the previous two years following defeats to Bayer Leverkusen and Slavia Prague.


However, a 3-0 triumph at Ibrox in the first leg and a 1-1 draw on the road secured another stunning aggregate win and a shot at the quarter-finals.

By this point, Rangers knew the route they would need to take to reach the showpiece in Seville.

Rangers or old foes Braga would face one of RB Leipzig or Atalanta for a shot at glory.

The Portuguese side grabbed a slender advantage in the first leg with a 1-0 win on their own patch but that lead was gone within the first two minutes at Ibrox as Tavernier handed the hosts the perfect start in front of a packed-out home crowd.

The skipper added a second from the spot after the visitors had been reduced to 10-men.

However, Braga weren't going to go away easily and forced extra-time after grabbing a late goal and levelling the tie up on aggregate.

But Kemar Roofe was the hero on the night as he slammed home to send Ibrox wild and secure a spot in the semi-finals.

By this point, you would forgive the players, fans, pundits and everyone associated with the club from dreaming of what if.

RB Leipzig stood in the way and once again it was a 1-0 defeat on the road after an Angelino stunner proved to be the difference after the first 90 minutes.

Fast forward one week later and Ibrox was rocking.

You could just sense something special in the air ahead of the game and with 25 minutes on the clock in the return leg, the tie had been turned on its head thanks to Tavernier once again and an expertly executed strike from Glen Kamara.

The much-talked about Christopher Nkunku would have his say with a beauty of his own for Leipzig, as the tie stood finely poised at 2-2 on aggregate heading into the final stages.

Extra-time was looming once again until fans' favourite and cult figure John Lundstram grabbed the headlines.

The former Sheffield United man slammed home from close-range to spark crazy scenes as Rangers once again went ahead in the tie.

It was a nervy final 10 minutes with plenty of nail biting across the ground and in the TV gantry by club legend and ex-boss Ally McCoist.

But when that whistle went, the wall of noise was something special.

They had done it. Rangers had qualified for the Europa League final.

A stunning achievement in itself and a journey they will never forget.

But one final huge performance on the biggest of stages could secure legendary status for every single player in the squad and really have people talking up the Scottish game for all the right reasons.

Can they do it? Only time will tell.

But come Wednesday night at 8pm, all eyes will be on the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.

The big prize on offer?

The Europa League trophy AND a place in the Champions League group stages next season as TOP seeds.

Not to mention the massive financial windfall that comes from lifting the Europa League and securing a place at Europe's top table for the new campaign.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.