By Lee Clark
There was to be no repeat of that magical run to Seville as Rangers finally came undone in the Europa League, crashing out 2-0 to Athletic Club in Bilbao. It has been another adventure for the light blues and their supporters, who once again travelled in huge numbers with a belief that they could get past just about anyone in this competition. Sadly that wasn’t to be and on a night where things could’ve been so much different had Cyriel Dessers been awarded a penalty, early in the first half, Athletic were to run out worthy winners over the two legs.
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Barry Ferguson had faced a conundrum pre-game, due to a combination of suspensions and injuries, the biggest blow coming in the form of a ruptured achilles for defensive rock, Dujon Sterling. In the end the Rangers gaffer decided against changing the system that had seen his team produce their two finest performances under his short tenure away to the Turks and at Parkhead.
The personnel available wasn’t ideal for this back three system, although it could’ve been a lot worse, given Leon Balogun, Ridvan Yilmaz and Cerny were all doubts in the days leading up to the match. As it was they made it and all three started as Barry Ferguson made two changes from last weeks battling 0-0 draw with Souttar and Diomande replacing Propper and Sterling.
It meant a return to right centre back for James Tavernier with Yilmaz being deployed at right-wing back. For some Rangers fans, this was a huge risk with the argument being made that the team had defended ever so well with a back four, only seven days before.
I must admit, I’m very much in the ‘best players in best positions’ camp generally, however I certainly understood why Barry wanted to stick with this system, not least because their Basque opponents barely had 10 minutes to get any sort of familiarity with it. A lot of the chatter from Spanish journalists pre-game was how tricky this now made the tie for the home team and I did think it was something Ferguson could use to his advantage.
The atmosphere had been building all day with dozens of Bilbao supporters out on the streets from early morning and what seemed like every second shop or bar adoring flags, banners and other assorted Bilbao memorabilia. This is a City that is football mad and with some 5000 Rangers fans making the journey across, many of them bouncing around in a street directly adjacent to the world famous Guggenheim Museum, there was no doubt at all how much this meant to both sides.
The game kicked off to a raucous, almost frenzied atmosphere and at a frantic pace. Barry Ferguson had talked pre-game of his team having to be laser-focused and warned about the perils of switching off for even a second. For these Rangers players it was a chance to show they could once again stand up in the face of such a huge atmosphere just as they had in the East End of Glasgow and Istanbul a few weeks ago.
Rangers started brightly and whilst certainly compact it was clear they were going to break forward in numbers and Tavernier saw his early freekick fly well over after excellent work from Hagi to win it in the first place.
Athletic Club were having plenty of joy too though and in the 8th minute only an excellent block from Yilmaz stopped Sancet’s goalbound strike from 10 yards. The game had started in a breathless fashion, with the first ten minutes passing in the blink of an eye. Rangers, to their credit, hadn’t come here to sit in and defend although it’s fair to say that Athletic Club did have the better of the opening stages and Tavernier had to block another goal bound shot in the 12th minute.
16 minutes in and the first huge talking point in the game as Dessers goes down in the box and the referee waves away Rangers’ screams for a penalty. In fairness it probably did look a little theatrical initially, however the replays showed just why the Gers front man felt so aggrieved, given he had to leave the field to replace his shirt that had almost been ripped from his back.
Not giving it in real time you can just about understand but, in today’s world of VAR it seems inexplicable that the referee wasn’t at least asked to look at it again. It was a disgrace of a decision and when you are away from home in such a hostile environment a penalty and your opponents down to ten men, as they should’ve been, makes a massive impact on proceedings.
Dessers’ frustration was compounded as he was booked for his trouble after protesting a little too vehemently in a crazy few minutes which saw Ridvan Yilmaz succumb to the knock he was carrying and have to be replaced by Connor Barron. It meant another reshuffle for Ferguson as Diomande went to left back and Jefte shunted inside to take up the right back role vacated by Ridvan. This was very much starting to feel a bit ‘make-shift’ for the Gers and with only 25 minutes played, it could well be a long night.
Sensing blood the home side started to ramp up the pressure and after some hesitancy in the Rangers defence Berenguer saw his bending effort flash a foot wide of Kelly’s post in the 36th minute. Rangers could breathe again, if only for a few seconds as in their next attack Bilbao could and should have been a goal in front.
Fantastic work by Sannadi down the left saw him clear in the box and his cut back to Nico Williams was somehow screwed wide of the post with the goal gaping. It was a massive let off for Rangers and after riding their luck again a few minutes later as Athletic missed another sitter, the home side finally got the breakthrough as Sancet fired past Kelly from 12 yards after Souttar’s clumsy challenge just inside the box on the stroke of halftime.
It had been a battling 45 minutes from Rangers, who had worked incredibly hard off the ball, something Ferguson had warned they would need to do however the Rangers manager cut a frustrated figure on the touchline at how sloppy his side were in possession. It seemed like every time the Gers battled to turn the ball over they immediately found a red and white shirt.
For all Rangers can feel aggrieved at the aforementioned non-penalty award you simply can’t do that against a side of this quality. The Gers now faced an uphill battle and Ferguson made another change at the break as Nsiala was introduced to proceedings, replacing Hagi. The Rangers team now looked to have a bit more balance and Ferguson would be hoping Diomande would bolster a midfield that had been missing for most of the first half.
That hope took another huge dent 15 seconds after the restart as Athletic Club were immediately in behind the Rangers defence and although Balogun did well with a clearing header he had a huge clash with Souttar and his night was over. It was yet another reshuffle for Ferguson as Gers switched to a back four and at this stage the feeling was that a minor miracle was required.
From nowhere Rangers and Dessers are in the box and after missing his attempted bicycle kick it falls to Raskin who sees his left foot strike deflect off the keeper and agonisingly off the post. It was tough on the young Belgian but maybe, just maybe the Gers weren’t out of this just yet.
Replays were also to show a clear handball prior to the Raskin shot. Now I have been quite consistent with my view on the way handball is applied in the modern game but, the question really needs to be asked. If Sterling can be penalised for something so innocuous last week, how on earth isn’t that a penalty? It was another massive call for the ref and the VAR team and another one they got badly wrong.
Rangers were really starting to get into their stride now and the Athletic Club keeper couldn’t hold a fierce Cerny drive seconds after the same player had shown some great work down the right with only a last gasp clearing header stopping a certain goal for Dessers. Twenty minutes to go and it was all there was Rangers to go and grab it.
Alas it wasn’t to be and Athletic Club sealed the tie on the 79th minute as Nico Williams got in front of Tavernier to head home a sweeping cross. It was cruel on Rangers, who had battled so hard in the second half but, in truth the home side had started to take a foothold in the game again and it looked very much like Rangers’ race was run.
That was indeed to be the case and despite a late chance for Hamza Igamane, Rangers looked shattered and the final whistle sounded to wild celebrations for the home side which brought to an end another European adventure for the light blues.
In a season of inept and sometimes outright scandalous performances domestically, Rangers can be proud of how they have performed in this competition once again. Before a ball was kicked, very few gave the Gers any chance of even getting out of the group stage, let alone qualifying as one of the top eight teams. Unlike that amazing run to Seville, where everything seemed to align this has been a competition where Rangers just haven’t seemed to get the run of the ball and whilst I appreciate good teams will generally always prevail, this was another night where big moments just didn’t go Rangers way.
Penalty and red card decisions aside, Barry Ferguson was tearing his hair out watching more players leave proceedings through injury and that big chance for Niko Raskin is a matter of centimetres away which would’ve turned the tie on its head. Of course, Athletic Club could point to some massive opportunities they missed themselves. They more than deserve their place in the semi final and who would bet against them going on to win the full thing in their own stadium next month?
For Rangers they can take satisfaction from their Europa campaign but, ultimately this one was a step too far. Barry Ferguson rightly discussed the glaring errors from the officials but was keen to point out it wasn’t sour grapes and accepted that Rangers opponents fully deserved to progress. As we discussed last week, Ferguson has been involved in enough of these big occasions to know what it takes to win and the harsh reality is, Rangers just weren’t quite good enough over the two games.
It effectively brings to an end what has been a disappointing season. Rangers might well have five games to go but, for most Bluenoses this was the last throw of the dice and whilst they go out with their heads held high with yet more memories to cherish, it’s a season that most Rangers fans can’t wait to see the back of.