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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Andrew Newport

Rangers ears ringing from Marakana but Europa League smiles will last far longer - Andy Newport's big match verdict

The ringing in the ears will take a few days to die down but the smiles on Rangers faces will linger a lot longer.

Amid the defining din of the manic Markana, Giovanni van Bronckhorst ’s team sent out another message that will be heard around Europe.

After dominating in Dortmund, a scrap in Serbia was enough to see them roar into the last eight of the Europa League.

The Red Star faithful did their bit to inspire their team to a remarkable recovery from last week’s 3-0 defeat in Glasgow.

They sent the noise levels round their cacophonous cauldron off the scales as Mirko Ivanic fired Dejan Stankovics men into an early lead.

Ryan Kent celebrates after scoring to make it 1-1 with Red Star Belgrade (SNS Group)

But Ryan Kent’s second-half sucker punch was the perfect retort to hush the Belgrade bedlam.

It wasn’t a match to be savoured. Rangers lacked the spark they had at Ibrox and required Allan McGregor to dig out one of his Euro specials, with the veteran pulling off a string of saves to halt the rampaging Red Star attacks at a time when they looked ready to overwhelm the Light Blues.

By the time he was beaten again by El Fardou Ben Nabouhane’s stoppage-time penalty, Red Star were out of hope.

It was tense and nervous with a hint of menace in the air.

At half-time, a huge banner was unveiled as the Red Star sent a message to the world on the back of the Ukraine conflict.

“Give peace a chance” it said, which was a bit rich coming from a mob who had spent the previous night rampaging through hotels looking to leather the travelling Gers contingent.

The Rangers faithful sought out their revenge by lobbing broken seats into the home end, which will earn the Ibrox outfit another hefty UEFA fine.

But it’s a priceless result - not to mention worth another £1.5million in prize money - which will have the Ibrox support now dreaming of going all the way to Seville.

Gers have never lost a three-goal lead in the 66 years since they first ventured into European competition but amid the madness of the Marakana, anything seemed possible.

Ryan Kent scores to make it 1-1 in the Europa League clash with Red Star (SNS Group)

With punters queuing up outside the ground three hours before kick-off, the atmosphere was at at a frenzied, ear-splitting crescendo by the time James Tavernier had led his side down the Serbs’ infamous tunnel for kick-off.

As they paced down the intimidating 240-metre-long graffiti-covered passageway which snakes from the dressing room before opening up behind one of the goals and in front of the host club’s notoriously barmy Delije ultras, the Scots would have been forgiven for all of a sudden feeling a little less comfortable about their lead.

It wasn’t long before the sense of dread ratcheted up another level.

Hard as it was to believe, the decibel levels only rose further as the game got underway, with the fired-up home support unveiling a huge tifo which swept round three sides of the ground.

Alfredo Morelos could have silenced them inside six minutes but the angle was against the Colombian, who could only fire into the arms of Milan Borjan.

An early goal was precisely what van Bronckhorst would have been desperate to avoid but his fears were realised four minutes later.

Aleksandar Katai’s short corner was swept into the box by Guelor Kanga. Morelos missed the delivery and turned round to see Ivanic slam home.

The Marakana exploded in thunderous delight and rattled Rangers were almost hit with another lightning bolt moments later.

Katai split the visitors’ backline as he sent Ivanic into the box. The midfielder beat Tavernier for pace but McGregor pulled off a huge save to keep the wolves from the door.

But there was no let up from Red Star. Their baying fans preyed on every mistake Gers made, roaring their team to harry van Bronckhorst’s men.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst celebrates as Rangers reach the Europa League last eight (Getty Images)

Yet wIth the Serbs pushing so hard though, they were leaving plenty of space in behind and Rangers were keen to take advantage.

Morelos had a couple of chances, wasting one with a poor pass to Ryan Kent before coming within an inch of equalising himself as he rifled just past the post.

There was another scare for Gers when Bassey and Balogun went for the same ball, leaving Milan Panvkov to drag wide.

The red and white waves of attacks mercifully slowed for a spell as Rangers grabbed a breath.

But they were lucky not to have the air smashed out of their lungs on the stroke of half-time as Ryan Jack lost out on a collision with Cristiano Piccini, who was denied by another important McGregor stop.

The Rangers players no doubt headed for their long walk up the tunnel relieved only to be one down on the night.

It was shaping up for another long 45 minutes as Red Star resumed their assaults.

McGregor had to be on his toes as another teasing corner came in before Bassey did brilliantly to put Ohi Omoijuanfo off from scoring as he raced into the box.

But out of nowhere Gers came up with a firecracker of their own to silence the Belgrade bams on 55 minutes.

A rapid counter cut through the Red Star lines as Kent worked a one-two with Glen Kamara before sending a strike past Borjan thanks to a helpful nick of Aleksandar Dragovic.

For a split second all you could hear was the jubilant Gers faithful going wild but the Red Star support were soon back in full voice.

Their team were on the front foot once more too but now Gers felt they had taken the worst of the punishment Stankovic’s team had to offer.

Ivanic saw a shot squirt across the face of goal before McGregor flung himself about to keep out a few more efforts.

By the time Ben Nabouhane’s late penalty after Kamara was penalised for a trip on Filippo Falco, the Marakana had been muted.

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