Rangers’ 8 best European nights – ranked

Glasgow Rangers have enjoyed plenty of wonderful European nights throughout their history, particularly since they made it to the group stages of the inaugural Champions League campaign in 1992/93.

Prior to 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 last 30 years have enabled a new generation of supporters to see the Gers 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 have taken a look back at some of the finest European nights the Gers have enjoyed since 1992.

8

Rangers 3-2 Braga

Europa League round of 32, 2019/20

Following an impressive start to the 2019/20 campaign, Rangers endured a slump following the winter break, allowing Celtic to take the lead in the Scottish Premiership title race.

The Europa League looked like the only salvation as the club prepared to take on Braga in their last-32, first-leg clash at Ibrox in February.

The Portuguese side took a two-goal lead in Glasgow, but with the clock ticking down, Joe Aribo skipped past several defenders to score.

Bedlam ensued minutes later as Ianis Hagi scored a free-kick before the January signing stole the show with a fine individual effort to seal a 3-2 comeback win. Ibrox was rocking, and they went on to win the second leg 1-0 the following week.

7

Rangers 1-1 Inter

Champions League group stage, 2005/06

Domestically, the Light Blues were dismal 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 stages. In order to secure passage to the knockout stages, becoming the first Scottish club to do so in the process, they had to get at least a draw against Inter at Ibrox.

Adriano opened the scoring for the away side before Peter Lovenkrands scored with a neat finish to send the Gers into the last 16, where they ended up losing to Villarreal on away goals.

6

Rangers 2-0 Parma

Champions League qualifying, 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 side sent them packing in the first leg, as goals from Tony Vidmar and Claudio Reyna secured the club’s finest European result in years.

Many expected Parma to respond 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 weren’t given much of a chance against Leeds United during the 1992/93 season as the champions of England and Scotland faced off in a ‘Battle of Britain’ to see who would seal a place in the group stages of the Champions League.

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

Having secured a comfortable 3-0 aggregate win over Danish outfit Lyngby in the first round, the Gers recorded a stunning 2-1 win over Leeds at Ibrox – but better was to come a few weeks later at Elland Road.

A sublime volley by Mark Hateley put the Light Blues in the driving seat before Ally McCoist netted his 29th goal of the season – in November – via a diving header to ensure Rangers won the battle.

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

4

Lyon 0-3 Rangers

Champions League group stage, 2007/08

This result proved that Rangers could mix it up with the best teams in Europe. Having won their opening game against Stuttgart, the Gers headed to Lyon to face a club who had won their seventh league title in a row.

First-half goals from Lee McCulloch, Daniel Cousin and DaMarcus Beasley sent the French side into a daze, with the Gers looking imperious.

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

3

Fiorentina 0-0 Rangers

UEFA Cup semi-final second leg, 2007/08

Slipping into Europe’s secondary competition wasn’t what Walter Smith would have had in mind, but after sending Panathinaikos, Werder Bremen and Sporting CP packing, all that stood 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 the Scottish side were playing for penalties, but when Barry Ferguson missed their first, it looked as though the plan backfired.

However, it was left to Nacho Novo to send the Light Blues into their first European final since 1972, and he dispatched his effort with ease, sending the travelling support delirious.

2

Borussia Dortmund 2-4 Rangers

Europa League knockout round play-off, 2021/22

After finishing second in their group, Giovanni van Bronckhorst led Rangers to the knockout play-offs of the Europa League, yet a clash against Borussia Dortmund – who had dropped down from the Champions League – was only expected to end in defeat.

What happened next will surely go down as one of the most emphatic wins in the club’s European history. They raced into a two-goal lead, before adding a third through John Lundstram.

Dortmund pulled one back, but an own goal saw the game finish 4-2 to the away side.

The following week, a 2-2 draw enabled the Light Blues to seal progression to the last 16 – but that wasn’t the end of the story.

1

Rangers 3-1 RB Leipzig

Europa League semi-final second leg, 2021/22

The Gers had sneaked through on penalties in their last European semi-final, but that wouldn’t be the case this time.

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

It looked as though Christopher Nkunku’s goal would deny them a place in Seville, although Lundstram had Ibrox shaking as he netted what turned out to be the goal that sent the club to a fifth European finale.

The club may have lost the showpiece event, but the journey was extraordinary.