RANGERS added another famous European night to their illustrious history as they progressed to the quarter-finals of European competition for the first time since 2008.
Despite a 2-1 defeat on the night here in hostile Belgrade, Ryan Kent’s second-half equaliser meant it was a 4-2 overall aggregate success for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side in the Europa League.
It was four changes from Sunday’s cup win at Dundee, but unchanged from last Thursday’s first-leg where the Light Blues claimed a 3-0 win for the Light Blues tonight.
That meant it was a back five of Allan McGregor in goal with James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Leon Balogun and Calvin Bassey in front of him.
Ryan Jack, John Lundstram and Glen Kamara were in the middle of the park, while Ryan Kent, Joe Aribo and Alfredo Morelos started in attack for Gers.
Prematch, the atmosphere was truly incredible, with the incessant chanting from all sides of this fantastic old stadium creating some din as the players took to the field.
Despite that, Gers began on top, calmly passing the ball about on what was a superb playing surface, and it was they who created the first opening with indecision in the home defence allowing Morelos to test goalkeeper Milan Borjan with a snapshot from the edge of the box.
But on 10 minutes, the hosts grabbed the lead. Rangers weren’t switched onto a short corner, and the ball dropped nicely for Mirko Ivanic to take a touch and smash beyond Allan McGregor from close range.
McGregor then had to make a fine save from Mirko Ivanic as Red Star threatened again, before Morelos had another opening on the end of a super Kamara through-ball that, from a closing angle, he sent only just wide of the far post.
Morelos had another opening on the turn on 37 minutes, but under pressure, he couldn’t get enough purchase on his shot to trouble Borjan, while just on the half, McGregor was forced into another super save to tip over a dipping effort from Cristiano Piccini.
The second half began with the home side on top as they looked to haul themselves back into the tie even further, but Gers were still a threat, and brilliant Aribo work down the right allowed him to send in a cross that Kent was just inches away from heading home.
But Kent wasn’t to be denied, as on 56 minutes, he sent the 1800 or-so travelling Bears into sheer pandemonium with the equaliser on the night to make it 4-1 on aggregate.
The break had looked on all night for Gers, and finally, they got themselves clear, with Kamara putting Kent away down the left.
The winger remained calm, and as he cut in from that left side, with the aid of a slight deflection off Strahinja Erakovic, the ball looped up and over the goalkeeper and nestled in the back of the net.
McGregor made another great stop from Ivanic as he looked for a second, while sub Milan Galjic wasted a good opportunity with a close-range header that he planted straight into McGregor’s arms.
Sub Kemar Roofe looked to kill the tie on 84 minutes when Kent put him in, but Borjan got down well to his left to push it wide for the corner.
That was to be pretty much it for the night, until the third minute of injury-time when the home side were awarded a soft penalty.
Ben Nabouhane sent McGregor the wrong way, but by that point it was academical, with Gers progressing to tomorrow’s draw.
RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Bassey, Jack (Sands, 68), Lundstram (Barisic, 81), Kamara, Aribo (Arfield, 68), Kent (Wright, 89), Morelos (Roofe, 80).
SUBS NOT USED: McLaughlin, McCrorie, King, Ramsey, Lowry, Amad, Fashion Jr.
FK CRVENA ZVEZDA: Borjan, Ivanic (Motika, 72), Kanga, Pavkov (Ben Nabouhane, 63), Katai, Dragovic, Rodic, Piccini (Gajic, 56), Erakovic, Sanogo, Omoijuanfo.
SUBS NOT USED: Popovic, Pankov, Krsticic, Falco, Stankovic, Radulovic, Srnic, Gobeljic.
REFEREE: Istvan Kovacs