Rangers’ route to Seville: How Ibrox club reached the Europa League final

Rangers scored more goals against Borussia Dortmund this year than they did during their entire UEFA Cup campaign in 2008, when they last reached a European final.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the Govan side’s route to reaching a Europa League final date with Eintracht Frankfurt, having fallen out of the Champions League qualifiers following defeat by Malmo.

A first-leg Alfredo Morelos strike was enough to see Rangers into the group stages for the fourth consecutive season. The Colombian netted after John Lundstram’s first-half red card but missed a hat-trick of excellent chances in Armenia before Robby McCrorie kept a clean sheet on his first Rangers start. Manager Steven Gerrard missed the trip along with a number of players after Rangers reported positive Covid tests. Assistant Gary McAllister said: “I hold my hand up, it wasn’t pretty but we have had a difficult two or three days.”

Rangers fans were not looking ahead to Seville in May when their team opened the group with successive defeats against Lyon and Sparta Prague. But goals from Leon Balogun and Kemar Roofe earned a 2-0 win over Brondby to kick-start the campaign and Ianis Hagi netted a crucial equaliser in Denmark before Gerrard departed. There were early signs that Giovanni Van Bronckhorst had the Midas touch in Europe when he led his new team into the knockout stages with a 2-0 win over Sparta in his first match in charge. After a Morelos double, the Dutchman said: “It was truly really special and I enjoyed every moment of it.” Scott Wright netted in a 1-1 draw in Lyon as the top two rounded off their group campaigns.

Gers fans enjoyed one of their greatest European trips as the tournament favourites were stunned in Germany. The visitors were three up