Athletic 2-0 Rangers: Analysis
There was always a sense this tie would be a bridge too far for Rangers. Athletic are flying high in La Liga and on a mission to win this tournament.However, the Ibrox side have had a habit of performing near miracles on the Europa League stage, consistently defying the odds.But when Cyriel Dessers' ripped shirt only lead to a yellow card for the Nigerian for dissent rather than a penalty, you got the sense there would be no luck on their side.Injuries to Ridvan Yilmaz, Ianis Hagi, and Leon Balogun forced Ferguson and his staff into multiple changes of shape as they tried to adjust.But luck and injuries aside, Rangers were also outclassed over the tie.Athletic, channelling the energy of a fervent crowd, hounded them out of possession and piled the pressure on in the first half.Rangers went close to holding out until half-time, but John Souttar's foul robbed them of the chance to regroup with the game goalless.A brief flurry after the break and the fact their hosts had only found one goal kept hope flickering, but Athletic have the best defensive record in La Liga and largely held them at arms' length until Williams pounced to extinguish it.Rangers can be proud of another good run at this level, but their season is now over and the questions will start about an uncertain future.When will the takeover by the San Francisco 49ers group be completed? Who will the manager be? How many players will leave?These are the only questions left for the club to focus on after a trophy-less season.
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