Rangers are preparing for another significant European night in Spain as they face Athletic Club in their Europa League quarter-final second leg on Thursday.
The clash at the iconic San Mamés Stadium comes with Rangers holding a delicate position following a goalless draw at Ibrox, where they showed remarkable resilience playing with ten men for most of the match after Robin Propper's early dismissal.
The Scottish giants' history in Spain tells a compelling story of persistence in the face of decades-long adversity.
Until their breakthrough victory against Real Betis last season, Rangers had endured a frustrating run spanning over 60 years without a competitive win against Spanish opposition in their own backyard.
This historic 3-2 triumph in December 2023 under Philippe Clement finally ended that dire sequence, with Kemar Roofe's close-range finish edging out a tightly contested fixture.
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The journey began in 1962 with a 2-0 defeat to Sevilla in the European Cup Winners' Cup, but it was their second visit to Spain that delivered perhaps their most chastening experience. The 6-0 demolition at the hands of Real Madrid in 1963 set a tone for what would become a challenging relationship with Spanish venues, though the statistics tell only part of the story.
Spanish soil has paradoxically played host to both Rangers' greatest European moment and one of their most bitter disappointments.
The hallowed turf of Barcelona's Camp Nou witnessed their crowning glory in 1972 when they lifted the European Cup Winners' Cup after defeating Dynamo Moscow. However, the more recent memory of their 2022 Europa League final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in Seville serves as a reminder of how Spain can be both friend and foe to the Glasgow side.
Their previous visit to Athletic Bilbao, dating back to 1969, ended in a 2-0 defeat in the Fairs Cup quarter-final.
Now, Barry Ferguson's men must overcome not only this historical record but also the challenge of progressing in a tie delicately poised after the first leg.
The overall record makes for sobering reading: from their 14 matches in Spain, Rangers have managed just one win, three draws, and suffered ten defeats, scoring nine goals while conceding 27.
The recent victory against Real Betis, however, has finally lifted what seemed like an eternal curse. This breakthrough could prove crucial for the current squad's mindset as they prepare for another huge night of European action in Bilbao.
Athletic Club's formidable recent home record and the passionate atmosphere of San Mamés present a daunting challenge, but Rangers have shown throughout their European campaign that they can rise to such occasions.
Ferguson's side has already demonstrated their ability to perform under pressure, particularly evident in their disciplined display with ten men in the first leg as well as conquering Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce in the competition's quarter-finals.
The Europa League is Rangers' only hope for a positive end to what's been a difficult campaign, having all-but lost the Scottish Premiership title race to rivals Celtic and experiencing the shock Scottish Cup elimination by Queen's Park earlier this year.
