Rangers 3-0 Red Star Belgrade: Europa League quarters in sight for Scottish champions

Rangers took a major step in direction of the Europa League quarter-finals with a pulsating assertion win over Red Star Belgrade at a raucous Ibrox.

That was all in a frantic opening 24 minutes and, though the tempo slowed, Leon Balogun’s towering header gave Rangers a commanding result in defend.

Inconsistent league type has brought about the reigning Scottish champions to slide three factors adrift in the Premiership, however they appear to search out one thing inside them for European nights, having finished for Borussia Dortmund in a well-known victory in the earlier spherical.

And Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s males rose to the event once more in opposition to the Serbian title holders, giving themselves a golden likelihood to complete the job subsequent Thursday and attain the final eight of the competitors for the primary time since 2008.

Having already accounted for Alashkert, Brondby, Sparta Prague and Dortmund in the Europa League, there was a fearless nature about Rangers as Red Star travelled to Govan.

That mentality was demonstrated all through the 90 minutes as Tavernier – simply as he did in each legs in opposition to Dortmund – broke the impasse from the spot after a prolonged VAR examine judged Slavoljub Srnic’s lazy leg to have tripped Ryan Kent.

Van Bronckhorst could not watch on the touchline, however the Dutchman opened his eyes to see a bouncing Ibrox because the captain’s penalty rippled in the top-right nook.

That got here after Red Star’s Katai had a pleasant end dominated out for offside, and the hosts suffered one other scare when Katai rounded McGregor and located the again of the online once more, however the striker was in opposition to pissed off by the assistant’s flag.

Red Star’s misfortune was Rangers’ achieve when the Scottish champions raced up the opposite finish and doubled their lead. Ryan Jack’s clipped cross to the again publish headed out to Morelos, who guided a first-time end on the half-volley into the online.

It was a thirty second Europa League aim for the Colombian – solely former Celtic striker Henrik Larsson (40) and ex-Netherlands ahead Klaas Jan Huntelaar (34) have scored extra in the competitors.

Rangers have been purring, and with a cleaner connection from Kent, who scuffed a close-range end into the grateful arms of Borjan, the hosts would have had a exceptional three-goal lead earlier than the midway stage of the primary half.

The Serbs have been nonetheless posing a risk, although, and had a golden likelihood of their very own to tug a aim again when Jack tugged Mirko Ivanic in the field.

Katai stepped up, however the Red Star ahead – who has 23 objectives in 34 video games up to now this time period – was denied by McGregor, who flung himself to his proper and obtained a powerful wrist behind the fiercely-struck spot kick.

There have been a couple of minutes to catch breath earlier than slightly extra first-half drama, when scintillating build-up resulted in Kamara snowboarding over, earlier than Ohi Omoijuanfo’s sliding effort up the opposite finish trickled into the arms of McGregor.

Rangers followers have been handled to a memorable Ibrox night time in opposition to Dortmund, and there was extra bedlam in the stadium when Balogun towered above everybody in the world to energy in Tavernier’s nook shortly after the break.

Tavernier then had a free-kick curl the flawed facet of a publish earlier than the captain delivered on three events for Goldson, who had one header cleared off the road, one other saved by Borjan, and knocked a 3rd broad on the again publish.

With Rangers tiring, and a second leg to play, Red Star fought to scale back the deficit and had second-half efforts thwarted by the enduring McGregor.

El Fardou Ben and Katai have been each denied on the Rangers keeper’s close to publish both facet of a shocking long-range effort from Guelor Kanga that crashed off the bar.

And with the sport in the closing levels, McGregor once more needed to be alert to disclaim Ivanic, with Ben Nabouhane’s tap-in on the rebound disallowed by one other assistant’s flag, which means the Ibrox facet take a three-goal lead into subsequent Thursday’s second leg.

Man of the match – James Tavernier

What did we study?

Van Bronckhorst shall be understandably elated along with his gamers after yet one more notable win in Europe, however the Dutchman should be scratching his head at the place these performances are domestically.

There is little question about it, if Rangers play like this constantly in the Premiership, they keep the title. But consistency has been missing this yr, and will value them the championship.

In a sport of fantastic margins, the competition may have been so completely different if Katai’s penalty or any of Red Star’s three, accurately disallowed, offside objectives had gone the opposite manner.

The Serbian champions look a tidy outfit, and whereas Rangers seem to have one foot in the quarters, they can not afford to take Stankovic’s males flippantly subsequent week in what shall be a hostile ambiance in Belgrade.

What did they are saying?

Rangers supervisor Giovanni van Bronckhorst to BT Sport: “I’m more than happy, it was a extremely robust sport. The 3-0 scoreline, you would not anticipate it if you see the sport, however in the tip I’m glad we scored three objectives.

“You may see the standard of the staff, they don’t seem to be dangerous, however I believe we carried out rather well. John [Lundstram] had an necessary function, we ready him for the completely different techniques we may play in opposition to. He was the important thing second half.”

Match stats

• Having misplaced their opening two Europa League group video games this season, Rangers are unbeaten in their final seven, profitable 4 and drawing three.
• This is the primary time they’ve stored a clear sheet at dwelling in a Europa League knockout tie. They’ve conceded in every of their seven earlier video games, dropping 13 objectives in whole.
• Red Star have solely gained one in every of their seven matches in Scotland (D2 L4), with that victory in November 1961 in opposition to Hibernian in the Fairs Cup.
• Tavernier has had as many aim involvements in eight Europa League video games this season (4 objectives, 2 assists) as in his earlier 25 European membership video games (3 objectives, 3 assists).
• The Rangers captain has scored extra penalties (3) than every other participant in the Europa League this season, whereas no participant has gained extra penalties than Kent (2).
• Since his first season in the Europa League in 2018-19, solely Munas Dabbur (17) and Bruno Fernandes (16) have scored extra objectives in the competitors than Morelos (15).

What’s subsequent?

Rangers are in Scottish Cup quarter-final obligation on Sunday as they go to Dundee (16:00 GMT), earlier than subsequent Thursday’s second leg in Belgrade (17:45).