FOR the first time in club history, Rangers overcame a two-goal first-leg deficit to progress in Europe – winning 3-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate against Union Saint-Gilloise.
Trailing 2-0 from the first leg of this Champions League, third qualifying round tie, James Tavernier got the ball rolling just before half-time with a well-taken penalty before Antonio Colak levelled matters and then Malik Tillman’s first goal for the club sent Gers through to the play-off round.
From the team which came through 2-0 against Kilmarnock on Saturday, in came Borna Barisic, Scott Arfield and Ryan Kent. They took the places of Ridvan, Steven Davis and Scott Wright.
That meant it was a back five of Jon McLaughlin in goal, Tavernier, Connor Goldson, James Sands and Barisic.
John Lundstram was joined by Tom Lawrence and Arfield in the middle of the park, with Kent and Tillman supporting Colak.
Ridvan, Davis and Wright all made the bench, as did Alfredo Morelos, next to Allan McGregor, Robby McCrorie, Ben Davies, Leon King, Ryan Jack, Glen Kamara, Rabbi Matondo and Fashion Jr.
Tillman had an early headed chance at the front post on the end of a Lawrence corner, while Colak grazed the top of the bar when he got his head to a wide free-kick delivery from Tavernier.
With USG playing such a low block, a set-piece always looked the most likely way to goal, and on 28 minutes, Colak was denied by a fantastic save from Anthony Moris when he met a Lawrence free-kick in the six-yard box.
Lawrence himself then tried his luck from 25-yards with a low shot that just slipped past the far right upright.
Just as it seemed though USG would be able to frustrate the Light Blues to half-time, they were awarded a penalty.
Barisic’s cross into the area was handled by Siebe Van Der Heyden, and referee Anastasios Sidiropoulos had little option other than to point to the spot.
Up stepped the captain to take the kick, and he sent Moris the wrong way to ignite Ibrox going into the interval.
The second half began with the same one-way traffic, and a decent block from Christian Burgess prevented Arfield turning home a loose ball in the box soon after the restart.
Then, with 58 minutes on the clock, Rangers hit the front.
The move began with Lawrence picking a super ball for Tavernier, who had made that typical, ghosting run into the area.
He cut the ball back for Arfield, and while Moris made a super save to deny him, the ball spun up in the air and was bundled home by Antonio Colak for his second official goal for the club.
Jon McLaughlin had to be sharp of his line to deny Simon Adingra at the other end, sliding superbly to win the ball from the attacker, before on 79 minutes, Rangers hit the front.
A Tavernier free-kick was cleared to the left, where Borna Barisic lined one up to deliver. His looping ball was lost in flight by Moris, and at the back post to get above the goalkeeper and head home was Malik Tillman for his first Rangers goal to finally put the Light Blues ahead for the first time in the tie.
Sub Alfredo Morelos brought a good save out Moris at his near post when he came on with 10 minutes to play.
Morelos was on the attack again after he collected a stray ball from within the Rangers half - Moris ran out of his box to challenge the Colombian and was able to intercept his threat to prevent any other danger in their final third.
As the clock ticked down, USG were reduced to 10 men with Amani shown a second yellow in injury time.
Gers held out to record an historic victory and set up a play-off, first-leg tie with PSV at Ibrox next Tuesday.
RANGERS: McLaughlin, Tavernier, Goldson, Sands (Davies, 79), Barisic, Lundstram, Lawrence (Kamara, 87), Arfield (Matondo, 64), Kent, Tillman, Colak (Morelos, 80)
SUBS: McGrgeor, McCrorie, Ridvan, King, Jack, Davis, Wright, Fashion Jr.
ROYALE UNION SAINT GILLOISE: Moris, Nieuwkoop (Francois, 77), Amani, Adringa, Vanzier, Burgess, Teuma, Lynen, Sykes (Eckert, 84), Van Der Heyden, Lapoussin.
SUBS: Imbrechts, Pirard, Boone, El Azzouzi, Puertas, Ziani, Huygevelde, Kandouss, Dony.
REFEREE: Anastasios Sidiropoulos (Greece)
ATTENDANCE: 48,454
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