In the week where a supposed sighting of the Loch Ness monster turned out to be an escaped Alpaca going for a quick swim, the Belgian press managed to link Union Saint-Gilloise’s Ibrox drubbing to the mythical creature. The Jupiler Pro League side were left licking their wounds as they departed Glasgow as the Champions League victims on a night of history for Rangers as they overturned a two-goal first leg deficit in Europe for the first time ever.
It was a huge letdown for the Belgians who were competing in Europe for the first time in almost 60 years and arrived in Scotland on the back of a 2-0 first leg victory. But they were blown away by Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men with that raucous home crowd playing its part. And that wasn’t lost on the visiting press pack.
Het Laatste Nieuws wrote: “Glasgow's Ibrox Park is said to be a 'mythical stadium', and Scotland cherishes its myths - the Loch Ness Monster, you know. Union had to survive in that iconic stadium. Rangers FC also counted on the support of the crazy home crowd to succeed in the 'Greatest Comeback': never before in European history have they been 2-0 behind a first leg, but tonight they did.”
The game turned late in the first half when Siebe Van der Heyden inexplicably handled the ball inside the box and James Tavernier coolly converted the resulting spot kick. Antonio Colak added another and Malik Tillman headed the decisive third for Rangers to settle the tie.
Van der Heyden was the fall guy and under the headline ‘Union shoots itself in the foot in Glasgow’.
Het Belang van Limburg wrote: “Giovanni van Bronckhorst does look like a cool, stress-resistant trainer – at least, that's the impression we have – but the Dutchman only sat down after the opening goal. Until then he had been pacing the line: it marked the nervousness of Rangers.”
And on the penalty that led to that opener from James Tavernier, they said: “It was inexplicable. What possessed Siebe Van der Heyden to put his upper arm against yet another successfully dropped long ball on the stroke of half-time? Greece's Anastasios Sidiropoulos pointed decisively to the penalty spot - such stupidity deserved a penalty. James Tavernier took the gift with thanks to: 1-0 for Rangers. Ibrox exploded, it was the goal every Scotsman craved.”
And French outlet L'Equipe wrote: "In an atmosphere of great evenings, the Rangers started the meeting with a lot of intensity. They believed in it from the start. On Tuesday, Glasgow Rangers won 3-0 against Union Saint-Gilloise in the second leg of the third qualifying round for the Champions League. The Scots came back from a 2-0 defeat in the first leg in Belgium. The final Europa League finalists will face PSV Eindhoven in the playoff."
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