Rangers have come from two goals down to triumph and progress in Europe once before this season.
Their hopes of reaching the last 16 of the Europa League after an hour of their match against Braga at Ibrox back in February were about as slim as SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster being asked to be guest of honour at their first Premiership home game against St Mirren on Sunday.
But Steven Gerrard’s side produced an inspired and improbable fightback in the last 30 minutes to win 3-2 - and then promptly followed that up with a 1-0 victory away in Portugal six days later to go through 4-2 on aggregate.
So their chances of recovering from the 3-1 loss they suffered at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen in Govan back in March - the day before football in Scotland was suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak – in the BayArena this Thursday evening shouldn’t be dismissed completely.
The Bundesliga being played to a finish in May and June could work in their favour. Their hosts’ preparation for the second leg tie has been irregular to say the least. They have played just once competitively, against Bayern Munich in the German Cup final in Berlin way back at the start of July, in the past month.
Furthermore, their German league doesn’t, due to the fact the 2019/20 schedule was completed during the summer, get underway again until the middle of September. What sort of shape will Peter Bosz’s men be in? It will be interesting to see.
However, Leverkusen were so classy, so dominant, so superior in their first encounter with Rangers that it will be a major surprise if they fail to prevail and book their place in the one-off quarter-final that will take place in their homeland a week today.
If they do, after nearly five months of waiting, finish off the job it will finally bring an end to another remarkable continental campaign for their opponents. Gerrard’s charges beat Feyenoord and Porto at Ibrox and drew with their formidable Dutch and Portuguese rivals abroad. Then came the Braga double header. It was exhilarating stuff.
Chris Sutton claimed, as is his wont, last week that the Liverpool and England great has not done a good job as Rangers manager due to his inability to win any of the six domestic competitions his side has entered in the past two years. He claimed he is in danger of being considered a failure.
Gerrard could certainly do with lifting silverware in the coming 10 months. But what he has achieved in Europe shouldn’t be overlooked or downplayed.
He is the only man to lead a side through four Europa League qualifying rounds twice. His team took on, and on occasion outperformed, some of the most famous and revered names in the game. They gave great joy to long-suffering fans who have supported their team loyally in large numbers through years of disappointment, hardship and failure in the process.
At the same time, he has helped to restore pride in Scottish football and raise the UEFA coefficient ranking. That will positively affect how many of teams from this country get into the Champions League and Europa League, and at what stage they enter those competitions, in future. For that we should all, regardless of our allegiances, be grateful.
His directors have certainly been delighted by the run. The millions which have been banked have been invaluable to a club which has been bedevilled by serious financial problems during the past decade. It has enabled them to strengthen to a greater degree than they would otherwise have been able to.
Gerrard stressed how important reaching the Europa League group stages has been on Friday when he was asked if winning the Scottish title - and stopping Celtic from making history and completing 10-In-A-Row – would be his priority this term.
“Everyone knows for this club to stay in a healthy position we have to qualify for Europe and commit in Europe,” he said.
Showing signing targets the level they have played at and the success they have enjoyed in the past couple of seasons, too, could prove invaluable in the coming weeks as they try to recruit new acquisitions. Having the chance to showcase their talents on such a stage can further careers.
It certainly hasn’t done Alfredo Morelos any harm has it? The Colombian became the first player to score 14 goals in a UEFA club competition before Christmas last year. He is on the brink of a £15m move to French suitors Lille.
Gerrard has much still to prove. He can’t afford repeats of the post-break Premiership collapse or Scottish Cup exit this term. It remains to be seen if he can end the dominance enjoyed by the treble treble winners with a far smaller transfer budget and wage bill. Rangers’ heroics in Europe, though, reflect well on him and his abilities as a coach.
They will certainly be fondly remembered by their followers for years to come. Sheyi Ojo’s long-range winner against Feyenoord. Morelos’s double in Rotterdam. His goal against Young Boys. Joe Aribo’s solo effort against Braga. Ryan Kent’s strike in Portugal. They were magical moments.
And there’s no guarantee the adventure is over just yet either . . .
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel