Fenerbahce were vanquished following a dramatic penalty shootout triumph in Govan last month and the Light Blues will be keen to create another special European evening.
Here’s everything you need to know about our opponents who stand in the way of a place in the semi-finals:
HISTORY
Founded in 1898, Athletic Club are the fourth most successful team in La Liga, with eight league titles to their name.
A proud advocate of supporting academy players, Athletic Club’s philosophy is governed by a code which states they may only field players who have come through their own academy, the academies of other clubs in the Basque Country, or players who were born in Basque Country regions.
STADIUM
Athletic Club play their home matches at San Mamés, which was rebuilt in 2013 and is known as The Cathedral.
With a capacity of over 53,000, the impressive stadium was built in the same location as the old San Mamés which served the club for 100 years from 1913.
The stadium was one of 13 venues to host UEFA Euro 2020 matches.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Rangers and Athletic Club have met only twice previously, in the quarter-finals of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in season 1968/69.
David White’s side ran out 4-1 winners in the first leg at Ibrox, with goals from Alex Ferguson, Andy Penman, Orjan Persson and Colin Stein.
It was the Spanish side who came out on top in the second leg with a 2-0 victory, but Rangers progressed 4-3 to set-up a semi-final tie with Newcastle United.
CURRENT FORM
Goals have been difficult to come by for the La Liga outfit in recent weeks, playing out consecutive stalemates with Villarreal and Osasuna.
Indeed, the side’s last victory – a 1-0 win over Sevilla last month – only arrived via an 84th minute strike from defender Yeray Alvarez.
However, the Spanish outfit finished second in the league phase of the competition with an impressive six wins, one draw and one defeat in their eight matches.
Their victories came over AZ Alkmaar, Slavia Praha, Ludogorets, Elfsborg, Fenerbahce and Viktoria Plzen. Their only defeat came at the hands of Besiktas, with a draw against AS Roma in the opening game.
In the Round of 16, they came up against AS Roma once again and, following a 2-1 defeat in the first leg, were able to turn it around to win 3-1 at home to reach the quarter-finals.
MANAGER
Athletic Club are managed by experienced boss, Ernesto Valverde, who has amassed nine years in the dugout across three separate spells at the San Mamés.
Valverde is most remembered for his spell in charge of Barcelona, lifting La Liga in consecutive campaigns between 2017 and 2019 while also triumphing in the Copa del Rey.
Upon returning to the Basque side, Valverde guided Athletic Club to Copa del Rey success themselves last season with a penalty shootout victory over Mallorca in the final.
KEY PLAYER
Nico Williams is a fully-fledged Spain international and his searing pace and ability to conjure up magic moments will doubtless top the agenda of Rangers’ pre-match analysis.
Still only 22, Williams operates in tandem with his elder brother on the opposite flank, Inaki, who has made over 300 appearances for Athletic Club.
Nico is the speedster; Inaki the goalscorer. The Basque outfit are also boosted by the return of midfielder Oihan Sancet from a hamstring injury.
