5 May 2024 22.29 BST Gers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst talks to BT: “It is very hard to
find words.💵 It’s been an amazing night. We said we would do everything possible, and
the players, together with the crowd, were💵 fantastic. We made the atmosphere we needed.
You cannot write a script better than this. We are all very proud,💵 and toasted inside
Jimmy. To win against Leipzig, who have a lot of quality, is amazing. Sparta Prague was
my💵 first game in charge and we knew the result would take us into Europe after the
break, that was our💵 only goal! But we took every opponent time by time, game by game,
and I am proud of our achievement.💵 Not many players can play finals. Once you’re in,
you have to do everything to win.”
Updated at 22.32 BST
5 May💵 2024 22.13 BST The
goalscoring hero John Lundstram adds: “I come into tonight with a good feeling. Can we
get💵 a result here? Of course we can, look at the place! But to actually go out and do
it, I💵 honestly can’t put it into words how much it means to me. It’s crazy! We’ve been
through some ups and💵 downs this season, and to come out of it in a Europa League final,
wow, what an achievement! The lads💵 gave absolutely everything. It doesn’t go our way
sometimes, but we do, every single time. They’re a phenomenal team, and💵 the game
changed momentum in the second half, but thankfully I’ve anticipated a knockdown and
put it in the back💵 of the net. It’s the best night of my career by a country mile.
Jimmy was the bedrock of the💵 club, I can’t speak highly enough of him. I want to
dedicate my goal to him, I love him to💵 bits. ”
5 May 2024 22.09 BST James Tavernier,
the Sandy Jardine de nos jour, speaks to BT Sport. “First and💵 foremost, we wanted to do
it for Jimmy, and I’m super proud of the effort all the lads put in.💵 All the staff, and
all the fans. He’ll be looking down proud on all of us, and so will Walter.💵 I’m
absolutely delighted, we’re through to the final, and you can hear the boise! It was a
tough test. It’s💵 an unbelievable feeling, to be a European finalist, it’s what you
dream of. The boys executed our plan to a💵 T, and I’m buzzing. We’ll go to Seville full
of confidence, but Frankfurt have got to the final for a💵 reason. But it’s one game, and
we’ll fully back ourselves. We obviously want to win it. We want to make💵 the fans
proud.”
5 May 2024 22.04 BST Every single Rangers player put in the performance of
their life tonight. They💵 flew out of the blocks and Leipzig were never really able to
recover, save a brief period before and after💵 the goal. “If there’s to be another goal
before extra time, Leipzig look much the more likely right now,” this💵 MBM wrote,
roughly 60 seconds before John Lundstram’s winner. I can have a karmic assist for
tempting fate, right?
5 May💵 2024 22.00 BST Ally McCoist always finds the right words.
“Walter Smith and Jimmy will be up there, having a💵 wee dram and a cuddle,” he says on
BT Sport. Dusty atmosphere where you are too?
5 May 2024 21.58 BST💵 Ibrox erupts, the
Rangers players cavort ... and Jimmy Bell is looking down from somewhere, smiling at a
job well💵 done! Rangers deservedly make it to the 2024 Europa League final! They’ll play
Eintracht Frankfurt in Seville on May 18!💵 What a performance! To put this in context,
nine years ago yesterday, Rangers were lifting the Third Division trophy. Ready?💵 Aye.
5
May 2024 21.53 BST 90 min +3: Kampl forces a corner down the right! Gulacsi is coming
up. The💵 last-chance saloon for Leipzig! Can Rangers hold out?
5 May 2024 21.53 BST 90
min +2: Lundstram wins a block challenge💵 in the centre circle and sends Sakala clear
down the middle! Sakala, one on one with Gulacsi, shoots straight at💵 the keeper. The
flag goes up for offside anyway.
5 May 2024 21.52 BST 90 min +1: Sakala and Kent are
💵 two on one on the counter, but somehow manage to ship possession with perhaps
understandable indecision.
5 May 2024 21.49 BST💵 89 min: Kamara takes the ball off
Laimer’s toe. It’s a fine challenge, and he should win a free kick,💵 the Leipzig man
catching him on the follow through. But he doesn’t get one.
5 May 2024 21.48 BST 87
min:💵 Pinball in the Rangers box. Hearts in mouths. Eventually the ball clanks off the
referee, to Rangers’ great relief. The💵 referee sends Leipzig away, and drops the ball
for McGregor to pick up. The home side got away with one💵 there!
5 May 2024 21.46 BST 85
min: Henrichs loops a cross in from the right. Silva challenges McGregor, but the
💵 keeper makes the catch. Leipzig come again, Halstenberg forcing a corner down the left.
From which ...
5 May 2024 21.44💵 BST 84 min: Ibrox is a bubbling cauldron of excitement
and angst. It’s a very long time until the whistle💵 blows. Last night at the Bernabeu
taught us that.
Updated at 21.47 BST
5 May 2024 21.44 BST 83 min: Leipzig have
💵 responded to going behind in the tie by making a double change. Poulsen and Angelino
are replaced by Halstenberg and💵 Silva.
5 May 2024 21.43 BST 82 min: Sakala dribbles
down the left and cuts in from the wing. He finds💵 Kent on the edge of the box. Chance
to shoot! But Kent can’t control Leipzig clear.
5 May 2024 21.42 BST💵 GOAL! Rangers 3-1
RB Leipzig (Lundstram 80); agg 3-2 ... Gulasci flaps. Gvardiol stops the ball going in,
but it💵 breaks back to Lundstram, who slams the loose ball home from six yards! Rangers
are back in the lead, and💵 ten minutes plus stoppages away from the final! Wow! What a
game! Photograph: Russell Cheyne/Reuters
Updated at 21.47 BST
5 May 2024💵 21.41 BST 80
min: Salaka is brought to a juddering halt down the right, and it’s a chance for
Rangers💵 to line up on the edge of the Leipzig box. Tavernier swings the free kick long.
Kent chips in from💵 the left, and ...
5 May 2024 21.39 BST 79 min: The tension is
palpable, though, as the increasingly dangerous Nkunku💵 whistles another cross through
the Rangers box from the right. If there’s to be another goal before extra time,
Leipzig💵 look much the more likely right now.
5 May 2024 21.38 BST 77 min: Rangers have
settled a little, and are💵 pushing up the park. Van Bronckhorst has, in no uncertain
terms, told Tavernier not to sit so deep.
5 May 2024💵 21.37 BST 76 min: ... so having
said that, Lundstram wins a corner down the right. He’s not booked after💵 the first stop
in play, though, despite having wrestled Nkunku to the ground back there in pretty
brazen fashion. Nothing💵 comes of the corner.
5 May 2024 21.36 BST 75 min: ... Laimer
strides towards the Rangers box. He slips wide💵 right for Nkunku, whose low fizzing
cross only evades the toe of Szoboszlai by inches. Rangers are rocking here.
5 May💵 2024
21.35 BST 74 min: Lundstram cleans out Nkunku in the centre circle. But the referee
waves play on, because💵 ...
Updated at 21.36 BST
5 May 2024 21.34 BST 72 min: That’s
taken some of the air out of Ibrox all💵 right. Rangers will have to clear their heads,
because Leipzig were well on top in the lead-up to the goal.💵 Tense, tense, tense.
Photograph: Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images
Updated at 21.46 BST
5 May 2024 21.32 BST
GOAL! Rangers 2-1 Leipzig (Nkunku 70);💵 agg 2-2 This had been coming. Angelino crosses
low from the left. Nkunku meets the ball first time, steering a💵 pacy sidefooted effort
into the right-hand side of the net! McGregor had no chance, and the tie is
level!
Updated at💵 21.33 BST
5 May 2024 21.31 BST 69 min: Space for Szoboszlai down the
middle. He attempts to release Nkunku, waiting💵 on the edge of the Rangers box. Blue
shirts surround and clear. But Leipzig come again, and Laimer sashays into💵 the Rangers
area unchallenged, down the middle. He opens his body and looks to steer into the
bottom right ...💵 but McGregor parries clear! What a save!
5 May 2024 21.29 BST 68 min:
Kent dribbles in from the left and,💵 for a minute, things look like opening up for him.
But he’s swarmed by white shirts, and his eventual pass💵 towards Arfield, the only man
who has kept up with play, is no good.
5 May 2024 21.27 BST 67 min:💵 Angelino crosses
from the left. Nkunku flicks a header towards nowhere and nobody in particular.
McGregor is happy with an💵 easy claim.
5 May 2024 21.25 BST 65 min: Szoboszlai is
checked by Balogun out on the left. The free kick💵 is sent long, towards the far stick
by Angelino. Gvardiol stretches but can only clank the ball into the side💵 netting.
5
May 2024 21.24 BST 64 min: Barisic is sent scampering down the left touchline by Kent.
He whips a💵 cross in, hoping to find Sakala, but the wily Orban is positioned well to
flick clear.
5 May 2024 21.23 BST💵 61 min: Arfield, striding down the right, thinks
about spectacularly volleying Goldson’s diagonal pass goalwards. Instead he lets the
ball💵 bounce, and looks to have lost it, but suddenly spins away from Klostermann and
Angelino near the right-hand corner flag.💵 He runs along the byline and looks for Sakala
at the far post, but gets the pass all wrong and💵 it’s an easy collect for Gulacsi. Had
he found his man, Sakala was tapping in from a couple of yards.
5💵 May 2024 21.20 BST 59
min: A double change for Rangers. Arfield and Balogun come on for Wright and Jack,💵 the
latter having felt something and indicated to his bench that he can’t continue.
5 May
2024 21.18 BST 57 min:💵 Kampl and Poulsen cause trouble on the edge of the Rangers box,
nearly combining to break through on the right.💵 The home team hold firm, but there’s a
sense that Leipzig are beginning to dominate possession for the first time💵 this
evening.
5 May 2024 21.15 BST 55 min: Leipzig stroke it around the back to deafening
whistles of derision from💵 the Ibrox faithful. Kevin Kampl tries to give his side some
energy in this second half. Photograph: Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images
Updated💵 at 21.19
BST
5 May 2024 21.14 BST 53 min: Lundstram crosses from the right. The ball’s deflected
out for a💵 corner. Tavernier swings it long. Goldson rises high but can’t connect. He’s
convinced he was pushed, but he’s not getting💵 the penalty decision, rightly so because
there wasn’t much in it. The ball comes back in from the other flank,💵 and Sakala skims
a header wide right from six yards.
5 May 2024 21.13 BST 52 min: Van Bronckhorst isn’t
happy💵 with the referee. Nothing major, just a relentless drip, drip, drip of decisions
not going their way. Imagine the ironic💵 cheers, then, when Kampl is booked for a clip
on Wright as the Rangers forward dribbles down the left.
5 May💵 2024 21.10 BST 49 min:
Goldson forces a Leipzig mistake in the centre circle and Sakala is sent on his💵 first
run down the inside left. He’s got half a chance of finding Wright in the middle, but
doesn’t spot💵 the pass and runs off down a cul-de-sac. Some promise here, though,
especially if Leipzig are still searching for a💵 goal later on, and start throwing more
men forward.
5 May 2024 21.07 BST 47 min: All a bit scrappy in💵 the opening stages of
the second half. Rangers will take 22 more phases like this.
5 May 2024 21.06 BST
Rangers💵 get the second half underway. “Rangers have been phenomenal,” writes Steven
Grundy. “Kent has been a live wire on that💵 flank and Tav is his usual fantastic self.
I’m a bit worried about three of our defenders getting carded in💵 the first 45. Perhaps
GvB should take Goldson off?” Perhaps ... but he’s not done so yet. No half-time
changes.💵 We go on.
5 May 2024 20.49 BST 45 min +2: Aribo is happily back on his feet,
but he doesn’t💵 look too clever, and Rangers are taking no chances whatsoever. He walks
off groggy, and is replaced by Sakala. Joe💵 Aribo is helped off the pitch and
substituted Photograph: Russell Cheyne/Reuters
Updated at 20.52 BST
5 May 2024 20.48
BST 45 min💵 +1: The board goes up for one extra first-half minute, though with the
stretcher coming on, there will be more💵 than that.
5 May 2024 20.47 BST 45 min:
Angelino smacks the free kick straight at the wall, and Aribo takes💵 the ball flush in
his startled coupon. He falls forward to the floor and the referee waves on the
physio.
5💵 May 2024 20.46 BST 44 min: Henrichs spins Barisic down the right and is just
about to enter the Rangers💵 box and shoot when he’s clipped from behind. Barisic becomes
the third Rangers player to go into the book ...💵 and this is a free kick in a very
dangerous position, just in front of the right-hand corner of the💵 box. Borna Barisic s
booked for this foul on Benjamin Henrichs. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty
Images
Updated at 20.51 BST
5 May 2024💵 20.44 BST 43 min: Poulsen romps into space down
the left, hugging the touchline. He curls a tempting low ball💵 into the box towards
Nkunku, but Barisic reads the danger and gets in between man and ball, six yards out.
5
💵 May 2024 20.43 BST 41 min: Another chance for Aribo to shoot, as he spins into space
and strides down💵 the inside-right channel. But again he looks for Wright, and plays the
ball behind his team-mate. Rangers certainly look like💵 they have more goals in them.
5
May 2024 20.41 BST 40 min: Aribo has the opportunity to shoot from a💵 position to the
right of the D, but perhaps shaken by his earlier miss, opts to roll wide for Wright
💵 instead. The move breaks down. “Loving your Sandy Jardine love, Scott,” writes Robin
Durie. “I had the privilege of watching💵 him at Tynecastle, when he and Alex MacDonald
came over from Rangers, and took Hearts on the amazing roller-coaster that💵 was the
1985—86 season.”
5 May 2024 20.40 BST 38 min: Goldson clips Henrichs out on the right
wing. That could💵 easily have been a second yellow, so he’s fortunate the referee only
awards the free kick. Angelino swings it long💵 to Orban at the back post. Orban slaps
his header wide left from close range. For the first time this💵 evening, tension rather
than passion is the top note in Ibrox.
