Rangers March On: A European Night That Hints at a Bigger Picture

Russell Martin’s side book their place in the next round as momentum builds at Ibrox

On a night when Athens boiled and Ibrox hearts fluttered thousands of miles away, Rangers did what they had to do. It was not pretty. At times, it was barely coherent. But in the end, Russell Martin’s side showed the kind of steel and spirit that cannot be measured by heatmaps or possession stats.

A 1–1 draw was enough to carry them through, thanks to the 2–0 cushion from the first leg. That scoreline was flattering then. This one felt earned. Panathinaikos threw everything they had into the cauldron of a second leg in their own capital. And Rangers, ragged and stretched, somehow stood firm.

Butland the Wall, Gassama the Blade

If ever proof was needed that Jack Butland is the most important figure in this side right now, it came under the searing Athenian sky. The Rangers goalkeeper was imperious. In the first half, he clawed out a dipping drive. In the second, he pulled off a save that defied both gravity and belief.

When Filip Duricic’s header finally beat him — rightly overturned by VAR after a tight offside call — you feared the tide had turned. But up stepped Djeidi Gassama. On the park for barely three minutes, he cut inside and lashed a drive in off the post. It was a goal of rare violence, beautifully timed, and it sucked the life out of the Greek revival.

Gassama has now scored in both legs, both times just as the match seemed to be drifting out of Rangers' control. He does not run the game. He does not dictate the tempo. But he delivers when it matters, and at this level, that quality is gold dust.

Cracks in the plan, but courage in the bones

Russell Martin is trying to build a team in his image. You can see it in the way Rangers try to keep the ball, even when it feels like a hot potato. You can see it in the high line, in the rotations, in the courage to play out from the back. But none of that worked well here.

Panathinaikos were sharper, more direct, and more aggressive. Time after time they picked Rangers’ pockets in midfield, then swarmed into the final third. Rangers gave up the ball cheaply. They invited pressure. In another match, against better finishers, they would have been punished.

And yet, through all of that, they survived. And in doing so, they grow. This was not a match that showed Rangers at their best. It was a match that showed them at their most determined.

John Souttar typified the night. Brave in the challenge, calm in the storm, he repelled wave after wave. Alongside him, Connor Goldson dug in, still short of sharpness, but refusing to wilt. This was not a polished defensive performance, but it was a courageous one.

Martin’s next challenge: find the balance

The manager knows this will not be enough to see them through against Viktoria Plzen. That tie is now on the horizon, and it brings its own dangers. Sloppiness on the ball will be punished more ruthlessly. The shape will need to be tighter. Transitions must be cleaner.

But what Russell Martin has built already is something less tangible but just as important. He has fostered belief. Not in slogans or press conferences, but on the pitch. These players look like they trust each other. They rally when the heat comes. And in Athens, that was not a metaphor.

Martin is still learning about this group. The style he wants has not fully taken root. You could see that in the way James Tavernier struggled to influence the game from his usual advanced position. You could see it in the lack of fluidity between midfield and attack.

But progress is not always visible in the passes completed or goals scored. Sometimes it is in the messy stuff. The cleared crosses. The recovered tackles. The substitutions that change the tone, not just the shape.

Gassama’s impact, again, was vital. So too was the energy of Tom Lawrence when he was introduced. The bench looks stronger now, more reliable. And in these two-legged ties, that makes all the difference.

A cautious road ahead, but foundations laid

The Rangers support will not be getting carried away. This was a testing tie, a fraught encounter in hostile territory, and they came through it. But they know the standard must rise. The Champions League is unforgiving.

Still, this is a club that has been here before. They have clawed their way to group stages from trickier positions than this. What matters is momentum, and right now, Martin has some.

The manager spoke of growth, of lessons learned, and of pride in how his side stood up to the pressure. Those are all fair reflections. He also knows that improvement is needed. Nobody left Athens thinking this team is close to the finished article.

But nights like this, under the lights, in hostile conditions, with nerves fraying and temperatures rising, are how you build a team. You do not always need style. Sometimes you just need bottle.

So Rangers move on, still flawed, still searching for fluency, but very much alive in Europe. And in the sweltering heat of Athens, they may just have taken the first real step in what Russell Martin hopes will become a campaign to remember.