“They’re a Different Animal in Europe! Thursday Nights are Rangers Night
Rangers are in Europa League action again this Thursday, with the possibility of post-League Phase football hanging by a thread. The European campaign has been a catastrophic disappointment so far, with four straight defeats leaving the team languishing at the bottom of the 36-team table and in need of points in the next match to avoid elimination with three games still to play.
Thursday’s fixture sees the return of a familiar name as Braga arrive in Glasgow for the third match in five years at Ibrox Stadium. And although this campaign has been somewhat forgettable to date, the last two matches at Ibrox against Braga were anything but, and a repeat would certainly help a faltering attempt at progression.
The first meeting between the sides came in February 2020, weeks before the world shut down completely under unprecedented circumstances, in the Last 32 of the Europa League.
Steven Gerrard’s sides had, for the second season running, negotiated their way past four qualifying rounds before being handed a tough group in the shape of FC Porto, Young Boys Bern, and Feyenoord Rotterdam. Rangers overachieved, though, and got out of the group whilst recording some famous victories along the way. Their reward was a tie against Braga, a slick, technically gifted side managed by future Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, and another big night was required if Rangers were to get the job done.
Braga arrived as favourites. Rangers’ post-New Year domestic form had collapsed, and the first half only deepened the gloom. Braga were dominant—levels above—and took a deserved 2–0 lead into the break. The tie looked dead.
Then came one of the greatest 45 minutes in Ibrox history.
Ianis Hagi lit the fuse with a brilliant strike before Joe Aribo produced a solo goal that still defies belief, weaving through half of Braga’s team to level the tie to make Ibrox erupt. Minutes later, Hagi’s deflected free-kick found the net, completing a staggering 3–2 comeback in front of a rocking stadium. Rangers carried that momentum to Portugal, where Ryan Kent’s second-half winner sealed a 1–0 victory and progression to the Last 16 against Bayer Leverkusen.
The second meeting between the sides came just two years later. Rangers, now under the management of former player Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, had progressed to the quarter-final of the Europa League. After navigating the group phase, Rangers stunned Borussia Dortmund in what many consider one of the club’s greatest European victories. Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade were then dispatched in the Last 16, 4-2 on aggregate, to set up another showdown with Braga.
The first leg of the quarter-final tie took place in Portugal, with the home side edging a poor game with a 1-0 victory. Similar to 2020, Rangers went into the Ibrox match as the underdogs, but a Raucous Ibrox roared the team on to another memorable victory, where, in another example of the crowd and team working together in unison, another piece of history was built in this most amazing European run.
Rangers lined up for the second leg with Allan McGregor in goal and a back four that, by this stage of the season, almost picked itself: James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Calvin Bassey, and Borna Barisic. John Lundstram and Ryan Jack anchored the midfield, with Joe Aribo, Ryan Kent, and Aaron Ramsey supporting Kemar Roofe, who led the line in place of the injured Alfredo Morelos—recently ruled out for the season.
Ibrox, as expected, was a complete sell-out. That indescribable feeling that a famous night was brewing hung in the air once again. And as Tavernier led the team out, greeted by a roar that shook the stadium, the game kicked off, and an electric Ibrox didn’t have to wait long to erupt.
Barely a minute had been played when a Barisic cross was glanced on by Aribo, his delicate touch guiding the ball perfectly into Tavernier’s path. The captain finished from a tight angle to put Rangers ahead on the night and level the tie.
Minutes later, the ball was in the net again. Braga simply couldn’t cope with Rangers’ intensity. Another Barisic delivery caused chaos, and Roofe powered a header into the net. Ibrox exploded, believing Rangers had taken the lead in the tie with only four minutes gone, but VAR intervened and ruled the goal out.
Rangers kept the pressure on and deservedly doubled their advantage just before half-time. Roofe raced through on goal and was brought down in the box by Vítor Tormena. The referee pointed to the spot and sent the Braga defender off. Tavernier stepped up and coolly dispatched the penalty, putting Rangers firmly in control.
The second half saw Rangers continue to look comfortable, but an 83rd-minute David Carmo header, completely against the run of play, pulled one back for Braga and levelled the tie on aggregate. Ibrox was stunned, and with no further goals in normal time, the match went to extra time.
There was no sign of fatigue as extra time began. Rangers came out aggressively and regained the lead eleven minutes in, when substitute Glen Kamara slipped a clever pass to Aribo, who hooked the ball across goal for Roofe to tap in from close range. With the man advantage restored, Rangers were once again strong favourites to finish the job.
That’s exactly what they did. Braga were reduced to nine men in the second period of extra time, and although Rangers missed chances to seal it, Scott Arfield striking the bar being the most notable, they saw out the match comfortably. When the full-time whistle blew, Ibrox erupted as Rangers booked their place in the semi-finals.
The last four brought RB Leipzig, and once again a 1-0 away defeat set up another monumental night at Ibrox, arguably the greatest of them all, before a heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Eintracht Frankfurt in Seville ended Rangers’ unforgettable run. A trophy that would have stood as the greatest achievement in Scottish football history slipped agonisingly out of reach.
This season’s meeting with Braga is unlikely to match the drama of those first two encounters, but a similar result would be more than welcome. Without it, Rangers’ European journey for 2025/26 more or less ends here. Let’s hope the players can rediscover some of that magic from the run to the final in 2022.
Over to you, Rangers. Make Us Dream.