Rangers Triumph on Penalties Following Fenerbahce’s Remarkable Comeback

Rangers faced a significant challenge at Ibrox as they suffered their first-ever home defeat to Turkish opponents, losing 2-0 to Fenerbahçe on match night. Nonetheless, they progressed to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, clinching the tie through a penalty shootout.

Having returned from Istanbul with a two-goal advantage from the first leg, Rangers had already put in considerable effort. However, they were determined not to leave anything to chance, starting aggressively and nearly opening the scoring when Nicolas Raskin’s cut-back found an unmarked Vaclav Černý, who was unable to get a clean shot away in time.

Midway through the first half, Rangers were put under pressure when Talisca fell inside the box following a challenge from Jefte. While there seemed to be contact, referee Espen Eskås showed Talisca a yellow card for simulation instead.

Černý continued to be a nuisance for the Fenerbahçe defence, creating space for himself on the edge of the area and firing a shot that hit the side netting. Until the end of the first half, the Turkish team struggled to create any significant opportunities, but they found a lifeline just before the break.

Filip Kostić surged down the left flank, delivering a deflected cross that found Sebastian Szymanski unmarked. He executed a stunning volley past a helpless Jack Butland, reducing Rangers’ lead and setting the stage for an exciting second half.

The second half seemed a daunting prospect for Rangers as they were pinned back near their own goal. Fenerbahçe only managed a wayward shot from Talisca before the hour mark, demonstrating their lack of attacking threat.

After enduring the initial pressure, Rangers began to reclaim control and nearly restored their two-goal cushion through a swift counter-attack, with Hamza Igamane’s shot forcing Irfan Can Egribayat to make a crucial save, tipping the ball around the post.

However, just minutes later, the Turkish side equalised in the tie when Szymanski found the net from close range after Mert Muldur laid the ball back for him.

Both teams exchanged late attempts to secure a decisive goal that would ensure victory, but neither could find it, leading the match into extra time.

Rangers’ best moment came in the 100th minute when Černý’s curling left-footed shot prompted a remarkable one-handed save from Egribayat, who tipped it over the bar.

Throughout extra time, Rangers controlled play, but James Tavernier’s free-kick was one of the closest attempts they had to scoring, with another fine save from Egribayat pushing the match to penalties.

The victorious side in the shootout was set to face Athletic Club, and excitement erupted at Ibrox when Dusan Tadic missed the very first penalty.

This miss set a challenging tone for Fenerbahçe, as Jack Butland made an additional save before Hakan Yandaş missed what would prove to be a decisive penalty, sending Rangers through to Bilbao for the quarter-finals.