Rangers have progressed to the Champions League playoff round after securing a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory on aggregate over Belgian outfit Union SG in the third qualifying round.
After losing the first leg 2-0 in Leuven last week, the Gers had it all to do in the reverse fixture at Ibrox on Tuesday night, but goals from James Tavernier, Antonio Colak and Malik Tillman helped Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men come from behind to claim a 3-0 second-leg victory, overturning a two-goal first-leg away defeat in Europe for the very first time.
The Glaswegian giants will now face Ruud Van Nistelrooy's PSV Eindhoven in the playoff round later this month, after they secured a 4-3 aggregate win over Monaco.
Rangers made a bright start to the contest, with their best chance in the opening half-an-hour coming from a glancing Colak header which was brilliantly tipped over the crossbar by Union SG goalkeeper Anthony Moris.
The Gers were then gifted the chance to take the lead on the stroke of half time as Siebe Van der Heyden bizarrely handled the ball inside the area after attempting to win a header, with captain Tavernier converting the resulting penalty kick to reduce the deficit on aggregate.
Colak then drew Rangers level on aggregate 13 minutes after the interval when he headed in from close range after Scott Arfield was initially denied inside the area.
© Reuters
With Van Bronckhorst's men thriving in the atmosphere generated by the Ibrox faithful, Rangers eventually completed the comeback in the 80th minute when Bayern Munich loanee Tillman rose above Moris to head home his first goal for the club from a floating cross provided by Borna Barisic.
Rangers were briefly reduced to 10 men shortly before they took the lead on aggregate as James Sands was shown a second yellow card for a last-ditch challenge, but the linesman intervened before the referee overturned his decision.
It was Union SG, however, who ended the tie a man light as Lazare Amani was dismissed for a second bookable offence deep into stoppage time.
Rangers eventually held on for yet another memorable comeback victory in Europe, with last season's Europa League finalists having previously come from behind against Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade, Braga and RB Leipzig last season.
The Glaswegian giants will now bid to reach the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2010-11 when they lock horns over two legs against PSV Eindhoven in the playoff round, with the first leg to take place in the week commencing August 15.
Oliver Thomas
