That was despite the Light Blues being at home this time round and taking an early lead through Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s stunning 25-yard free-kick in the 25th minute.
The Dutchman’s strike was cancelled out within 14 minutes of the second half when goals from Robbie Winters and Derek Young gave the Dons a shock lead.
That double salvo delighted the small pocket of Aberdeen fans in the Broomloan as the club bid for their first win at Ibrox in NINE years.
But much of the 37,000 crowd were plunged into silence as they were again alerted to defensive deficiencies which were apparent in the Old Firm clash.
In the 52nd minute Winters was left unchallenged in the Rangers penalty box and was left with the simple job of firing home from close-range after a David Rowson cross.
And seven minutes later the nippy Young picked the ball up on the halfway line – courtesy of a deflection off referee Willie Young – and strode up the park before unleashing an unstoppable 25-yard drive beyond the helpless Stefan Klos.
Ibrox was stunned. An extra-time winner from Andy Dow the previous season toppled Rangers out of the League Cup and denied them any chance of achieving back-to-back Trebles.
If Gers didn’t want a repeat they had to do something. Quickly.
Advocaat has always been regarded as the master tactician and this time was to be no different. He took off Scott Wilson, moved Barry Ferguson into a sweeper role and introduced Tugay Kerimoglu to the fray. The result? Rangers back on level terms within 60 SECONDS.
There were only 15 minutes left in the clock when full-back Fernando Ricksen swung in a perfect corner to the back post fro wee Rod Wallace to nod home.
Tugay had made a difference and with the former Galatasaray man pulling the strings, suddenly Rangers had much more urgency then. Aberdeen were doomed.
Just five minutes after getting back on level terms, Advocaat’s men edged in front.
This time it was Allan Johnston, brought on as a replacement for Neil McCann at half-time, who drove a low cross in from the right and Billy Dodds slid in at the back post to knock the ball past the helpless Ryan Esson.
The pint-sized striker had taken stick throughout the match from the Aberdeen fans who once worshipped him during his days at Pittodrie. But he answered them in the way he knew best.
There now looked to be no way back for the Dons in a match which had turned as quickly against them as it had for them just 20 minutes previously.
However, with a one-goal advantage anything can happen. But with six minutes left Rangers out the tie beyond any doubt with a screamer. Skipper Lorenzo Amoruso stepped up for his 30-yard effort, rocketed past Esson and into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
It was an evening of pulsating football with six strikes and Rangers got their sweet revenge on Aberdeen for last season’s League Cup events. Eventually.