RANGERS will now have to try to qualify for the Europa League as their Champions League journey came to an end against Malmo at Ibrox tonight.
Leading 1-0 at the interval through an Alfredo Morelos strike, Antonio Colak netted twice inside four second half minutes to turn the tie on its head.
Everyone knew the first time Ibrox was full again after the pandemic would be a special occasion – but the noise in the lead up to kick-off really did defy description on what was a pleasant summer’s evening in Govan.
For this one, boss Gerrard named four changes. From the team which faced Dundee United on Saturday, in came Allan McGregor, Leon Balogun, Scott Arfield and Scott Wright in place of Jon McLaughlin, Fil Helander, Glen Kamara and John Lundstram.
That meant it was a back five of McGregor in goal with James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Balogun and Borna Barisic in front of him.
Arfield joined Steven Davis and Joe Aribo in midfield, while up front, Ryan Kent and Wright supported Alfredo Morelos.
It was Rangers who forced the first real opening of the match – Morelos robbing Niklas Moisander of the ball on the byline and squaring it into the middle.
His cross just evaded Kent but reached Aribo 25-yards out, and his drive was deflected behind.
Morelos then turned provider again for Aribo for another effort to be deflected past – but all of this inside the opening five minutes was exactly the kind of high-energy start boss Gerrard would have been after.
Rangers were right on top, and then on 18 minutes, came the breakthrough and a noise like never before inside Ibrox.
Ryan Kent’s ball to the back post was a superb one, and there to bundle the ball over the line was Alfredo Morelos for his first of the season and to wipe out Malmo’s first-leg advantage.
His threat in so many situations is phenomenal, and he showed that poacher’s instinct to spark incredible scenes as the Bufalo charged into the corner to celebrate.
He nearly grabbed another 10 minutes later – twisting and turning his way into the area on the end of a super Arfield ball before eventually being crowded out and goalkeeper Johan Dahlin gathered his effort.
Antonio Colak missed a good opportunity for the visitors on 37 minutes, heading over at the back post following their first period of sustained possession.
Malmo were then reduced to 10-men in the one minute of stoppage time at the end of the half with Bonke Innocent shown a red card.
Having already been booked, he caught Goldson on the shin with his studs, and after some deliberation from the Slovenian referee, he showed Innocent a second yellow card.
Rangers began the second half as they had the first, and could have had the lead in the tie inside three minutes of the restart, Morelos latching onto a weak punch from Dahlin but firing over on the half-volley, albeit from a rather acute angle.
But on 53 minutes, Malmo drew level on the night with a well-worked goal – Colak the man to take the ball in his stride just inside the 18-yard box and fire well into the bottom far corner.
And four minutes later, they had the lead, and again, it was Colak on target. This time, he cut in from the right wing, turned superbly and finished beyond McGregor.
Gers looked to hit back, and an improvised effort from Arfield was well saved by Dahlin, before he gathered a Goldson header on the end of a Tavernier cross at the back post.
Soren Rieks made a super block to deny Morelos the leveller, while he could find only the side netting on the end of a Tavernier corner soon after.
Dahlin saved well from a Kent strike from just outside the area as the home side came again, while he pushed a dipping corner over from sub Fashion Jr as the minutes ticked down.
Fashion Jr had another effort in injury time from distance which trickled by on a night that belonged to the visitors.
RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Barisic, Arfield (Hagi, 69, Davis, Aribo, Wright (Fashion Jr, 63), Morelos, Kent.
SUBS: McCrorie, Bassey, Lundstram, Helander, Itten Simpson, Patterson, Kelly, Hogarth.
MALMO FF: Dahlin, Moisander, Rieks, Lewicki, Colak, Christiansen, Ahmedhodzic, Birmancevic (Rakip, 74), Innocent, Nielsen, Berget (Beijmo, 83).
SUBS: Ellborg, Johansson, Larsson, Abubakari, Gwargis, Nalic, Eile, Bjorkvist, Nanasi.
REFEREE: Slavko Vincic (Slovenia)