8 of Rangers’ best European results

Glasgow Rangers have enjoyed many wonderful European nights throughout their history, especially since reaching the group stage of the inaugural Champions League campaign in 1992/93.

Before that, the Light Blues had reached three European Cup Winners’ Cup finals, winning in 1972, but the club’s exploits in the Champions League and Europa League over the past 30 years have allowed a new generation of fans to see for the Gers to do well. on the continent.

The Light Blues have a great chance of progressing to the last 16 of the Europa League this season. With this in mind, we’ve taken a look at some of the best European nights the Gers have enjoyed since 1992.

8

Rangers 3-2 Braga

Europa League Round of 32, 2019/20

After an impressive start to the 2019/20 campaign, Rangers suffered a poor run of form following the winter break, allowing Celtic to take the lead in the Scottish Premiership title race.

The Europa League seemed the only salvation as the club prepared to face Braga in the first leg of their round of 32 tie at Ibrox in February.

The Portuguese team took a two-goal lead in Glasgow, but with time running out, Joe Aribo beat several defenders to score.

Chaos ensued minutes later when Ianis Hagi scored a free-kick before the January signing stole the show with a superb individual effort to seal a 3-2 comeback. Ibrox were rocking and they won the second leg 1-0 the following week.

7

Rangers 1-1 Inter

Champions League group stage, 2005/06

Domestically, the Light Blues performed dismally during the 2005/06 season, finishing third in the league. In the Champions League, however, they made history.

They were a different animal in Europe, defeating Porto in the group stage. To secure a place in the round of 16, becoming the first Scottish club to do so, they had to get at least a draw against Inter at Ibrox.

Adriano opened the scoring for the visiting team before Peter Lovenkrands scored with a good finish for sends Gers to round of 16where they ended up losing to Villarreal on away goals.

6

Rangers 2-0 Parma

Champions League qualification, 1999/00

Parma were one of the best teams on the continent in the mid to late 90s and had won the UEFA Cup the season before this Champions League qualifying clash.

Dick Advocaat’s Rangers team dispatched them in the first leg, when goals from Tony Vidmar and Claudio Reyna secured the club’s best European result in years.

Many expected Parma to react in the second leg, but they could only win 1-0, thus losing on aggregate.

5

Leeds United 1-2 Rangers

Champions League second round, 1992/93

Rangers didn’t have much of a chance against Leeds United during the 1992/93 season when the English and Scottish champions faced off in a ‘Battle of Britain’ to see who would seal a place in the Champions League group stage.

In the first edition of the revamped competition, two rounds preceded an eight-team group stage, where the winners of the two groups would meet in the final.

After claiming a comfortable 3-0 aggregate victory over Danish side Lyngby in the first round, the Gers recorded an impressive 2-1 victory over Leeds at Ibrox, but the best was yet to come a few weeks later at Elland Road.

A sublime volley from Mark Hateley put the Light Blues in the driving seat before Ally McCoist scored her 29th goal of the season back in November with a diving header to ensure Rangers won the battle.

In the end, they missed out on the final by a single point. So close, but so far.

4

Lyon 0-3 Rangers

Champions League group stage, 2007/08

This result showed that Rangers could compete with the best teams in Europe. After winning their first game against Stuttgart, the Gers headed to Lyon to face a club that had won its seventh consecutive league title.

First-half goals from Lee McCulloch, Daniel Cousin and DaMarcus Beasley stunned the French side, as the Gers looked imperious.

They even got a point against Barcelona in their next match. The last three games ended in defeat and Rangers got into the UEFA Cup, where another journey was about to begin…

3

Fiorentina 0-0 Rangers

UEFA Cup semi-final second leg, 2007/08

Moving on to the European secondary competition was not what Walter Smith would have had in mind, but after seeing off Panathinaikos, Werder Bremen and Sporting CP, the only thing standing between them and the final was Fiorentina.

A drab 0-0 draw at Ibrox was followed by an even worse game in Italy. It was clear that the Scottish team were playing for penalties, but when Barry Ferguson missed the first, it seemed that the plan backfired.

However, it was Nacho Novo’s turn to send the Light Blues to their first European final since 1972, and he dispatched his effort with ease, sending the traveling fans into delirium.

2

Borussia Dortmund 2-4 Rangers

Europa League round of 16 tie, 2021/22

After finishing second in their group, Giovanni van Bronckhorst led Rangers to the Europa League play-offs, but the clash against Borussia Dortmund, who had fallen out of the Champions League, was only expected to end in defeat.

What happened next will surely go down as one of the most resounding victories in the club’s European history. They built a two-goal lead, before adding a third thanks to John Lundstram.

Dortmund closed the gap, but an own goal saw the goal. end of the match 4-2 to the visiting side.

The following week, a 2-2 draw allowed the Light Blues to seal their place in the round of 16, but that was not the end of the story.

1

Rangers 3-1 RB Leipzig

Europa League semi-final second leg, 2021/22

In the last European semi-final, the Gers had escaped on penalties, but this time it would not be like that.

A 1-0 defeat in Germany left the home team with plenty of work to do against RB Leipzig. Goals from James Tavernier and Glen Kamara gave the Ibrox team a 2-0 lead as they approached the final.

It looked like Christopher Nkunku’s goal would deny them a place in Sevilla, although Lundstram shook Ibrox when he scored what turned out to be the goal that sent the club to their fifth European final.

The club may have lost the main event, but the trip was extraordinary.