Russell Martin believes win over Panathinaikos will help Rangers' players grow
Filip Djuricic eventually opened the scoring for the dominant Greek outfit with a header in the 53rd minute but, moments after coming on as substitute, Djeidi Gassama, who scored after coming off the bench to make his debut last week, levelled at 1-1 with a stunning drive.
Rangers set up a third qualifying tie against Czech side Viktoria Plzen, who knocked out Swiss outfit Servette.
Boss Martin told Rangers' official YouTube channel: 'I'm so proud of the team, the group and the fans were incredible.
'It was a big night for us, so early on in the process of trying to be the team we want to be.
'I don't think it can be underestimated how difficult this tie and this night was and, especially after the first half, it was so difficult.
'But I think the players have come through a really tough time and I'm really proud of them.
'And then we have a setback by conceding the goal and then we took the sting out of the game by scoring and responding really quickly, that's not easy.
'The fans were amazing and they stuck with us throughout and it's been a really good night and we will get better.
'It's so early on. There's loads of growing to do and nights like this will definitely help the players grow.'
Martin was pleased with the resolve he saw from his side.
He added: 'They were really together tonight in the second half, especially, and I'm really proud of them for that because we asked for that at half-time and they dug in and they fought and there were some brilliant moments with the boys.
'It didn't come to enough but there were some big performances and I'm really pleased.
'At this football club, you have to have to be resilient and you have to you show a level of effort and fight and application and desire or you just won't last very long.
'And they did all of that. So I'm so proud, but it has to be all the time.
'And we have to be relentless with that and there wasn't enough of it in the first half, so it's my job to be really proud of the players but to make sure we get better and we will because, as I said, they'll grow so much from tonight.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
37 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Motherwell deserved three points'
Watch Sportscene analysis of Jens Berthel Askou's influence on the Motherwell team after their 1-1 draw against Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.
BBC News
37 minutes ago
- BBC News
Rangers' summer signings 'lacking intensity'
Watch Sportscene analysis of Russell Martin's signings so far and what more he needs to do, after Rangers' 1-1 draw against Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership.
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Celtic 1 St Mirren 0: Instant reaction to the burning issues
Club legend Paul McStay raised the roof inside the ground when he took to the field and unfurled the league flag before the encounter with St Mirren got underway – but there was little for supporters to cheer about thereafter. It took a strike from McCowan at the death for the Scottish champions to wrap up three hard-fought points and open up an immediate two point cushion over their city rivals Rangers at the top of the top flight table. Here are five talking points from a difficult afternoon for Callum McGregor and his team mates. KT class The excitement that Kieran Tierney's return to the East End of Glasgow has generated among the Celtic support was obvious during the build-up to the league opener – he was applauded when he took to the field for his arm-up and when his name was read out by the stadium announcer there was a huge cheer. The left-back, who left his boyhood heroes for Arsenal for a Scottish record £25m fee back in 2019, didn't disappoint. He was by far and away the home side's best player during their first competitive fixture of the 2025/26 campaign. He was composed on the ball, got upfield frequently, skinned first Killian Phillips and then Jayden Richardson with ease and played some quality deliveries into the St Mirren area. If, and it is a big if given his track record with injuries, the defender can stay fit then Celtic have a potent weapon at home and abroad this term and beyond. He appeared to suffer a slight knock on the hour mark and was replaced by Austron Trusty as a precautionary measure. Rodgers will need to careful not to ask too much too soon of a player who did not play a great deal of football last term. Yang posted missing Yang Hyn-jun impressed onlookers with his form both at home and abroad at the tail end of last season and many pundits and fans expected him to step forward and fill the void on the right flank of the Celtic team when Nicolas Kuhn departed for Como for £15m this summer. The South Korean internationalist, though, will need to do far better than he did this afternoon to establish himself as a starter in Rodgers' side. The meeting with St Mirren was a big opportunity for him to show what he had to offer. He failed to take it and was replaced by James Forrest before the hour mark. Forrest, the most decorated player in Scottish football history, made an immediate impact. He went on a mazy run and created an opportunity for his captain Callum McGregor. The midfielder found the bottom corner, but his strike was disallowed by the VAR official after a replay showed he had handled it twice. Saints alive! Summer signings Killian Phillips, Roland Idowu, Richard King, Jayden Richardson and Shamal George all slotted straight into Stephen Robinson's first starting line-up and their fellow new recruits Ryan Mullen, Jalmaro Calvin, Tunmise Sobowale and Miguel Freckleton were on the bench. All change at St Mirren hen. But the visitors were every bit as well-organised, physically imposing, hard-working and difficult to break down as the side which finished sixth in the top flight last term and just missed out on a place in Europe. They had their moments in the final third as well. Declan John picked out Phillips in the opposition box with a long ball upfield in the first half, but the Republic of Ireland internationalist was quickly dispossessed by his countryman Liam Scales, John hooked wide shortly after that and Mark O'Hara forced a save from Kasper Schmeichel with a shot from distance. George, the former Livingston keeper who joined from Wycombe Wanderers on loan for the season, did brilliantly to push a Benjamin Nygren shot onto his crossbar in added on time at the end of the opening 45 minutes. He was not so lucky when McCowan tried his luck from distance at the death. But if Alistair Johnston hadn't blocked an Oisin Smyth that was destined to finish in the back of his net late on the Paisley men would have had a point to show for their efforts. Reinforcements required Manchester City centre-half Jahmal Simpson-Pusey was an interested observer from the main stand today. His loan move from the English giants should be confirmed this week. More new signings, though, are desperately required by Celtic. Up front especially. They were lacking a creative spark, a vital sharpness in attack. That could be due to the fact that it was the first run-out of the new term. But their manager admitted he needed to increase his options on Friday and this game showed why. His charges created plenty of opportunities, but only converted one. Arne Engels, Johnny Kenny and McCowan came on as Rodgers went for broke and the latter finally broke the deadlock with three minutes of regulation time remaining when his deflected effort from the edge of the St Mirren penalty box eluded George's grasp. Lisbon Lions lauded Two of the men who were in the Celtic squad when the Glasgow club became the first from Britain to lift the European Cup in in Lisbon in 1967 passed away this summer – John Clark and John Fallon. Their old club honoured centre-back Clark, who played alongside Billy McNeill in the 2-1 win over Inter Milan, and goalkeeper Fallon, who was the only substitute in the Estadio Nacional in a fitting manner before kick-off. A giant tifo of Clark, who spent over 50 years at Parkhead as a player, a coach, an assistant manager and a kit man, was unfurled in the Lisbon Lions stand as clips of the defender and his old team mate Fallon over the years were played on the giant screens. There was a minute's applause from everyone inside the packed ground ahead of the match and a tifo of Fallow was rolled out in the safe-standing section at the start of the second half. The fans did two of their greatest sons proud.
