Real Betis 2 Rangers 3: Europa League progress after glory night

Real Betis 2 Rangers 3: Europa League progress after glory night

On a monumental evening for Scottish football in Europe,

Rangers emerged victorious in Spain, winning 3-2.

Early on, Abdullah Sima scored for the Ibrox team after

Cyriel Dessers’s excellent work created space and allowed him to smash into the corner.

The lead didn’t last long, as Miranda quickly took the lead after some deft passing down the left.

Jack Butland had little chance against the left-back’s incredible angled drive.

A highly competitive game followed,

but Rangers took the lead once more thanks to a magnificent solo play and a goal by striker Cyriel Dessers.

On 37 minutes into a hectic first half,

Ben Davies gave up the ball in a risky area close to the halfway line;

Ayoze Perez restored parity.

Betis’s counterattack put Rangers behind early in the second half,

but they took the lead against the run of play when a clumsy tackle at a corner allowed

replacement Kemar Roofe to poke home from three yards out.

After five minutes of nerve-wracking injury time,

the Premiership team held on while the Spaniards continued to pose a threat.

This means that Phillipe Clement’s club will advance straight to the round of 16 and will not play

the risky qualifying match against the Champions League elimination round.

Amazing evening

After trailing Cypriot underdogs Aris by five points in the group,

Rangers have undoubtedly earned their victory the hard way.

This season, Betis has gone undefeated at home and boasts talent valued in the millions.

But Clement’s team pushed it through with two victories over

the La Liga rivals and four points against Sparta Prague.

Against Eintracht Frankfurt on a night when Sunday’s fellow cup finalists Aberdeen also triumphed,

it’s a fantastic night for the Scottish game’s coefficient, which has suffered at times this season.

Dessers gets his chance.

“This is Cyriel Dessers’ best moment wearing Rangers colours.”

Rangers regain the lead thanks to Dessers! tweet.com/jutAlHQlgD
— @RangersReview55, The Rangers Review December 14, 2023

After paying £5 million to join in the summer,

the Nigerian striker has faced criticism;

but, he showed tonight that he is capable of much more with an incredible solo goal.

Dessers found himself darting into space after winning a header close to

the halfway line that was eventually headed to Jose Cifuentes.

The attacker cut inside before falling the other way past German Pezzella

and sliding between Rui Silva’s knees when the Ecuadorian discovered him.

Considering his lacklustre performance in a Light Blue jersey to date, it was an incredible occasion.

While it’s possible that he can still improve,

this instance of complete quality will undoubtedly boost his confidence.

Tavernier’s defensive flaws were revealed

The captain has repeatedly demonstrated his incredible attacking ability as a full-back,

but Rangers have known for years that he can expose them down his side due to his visionary nature.

Tavernier is skilled enough to get away with it against weaker opposition,

but as we saw in Seville, he can have tough nights when the going gets tough.

His team scored both of Betis’s first-half goals,

and the La Liga heavyweights had plenty of opportunities down

their left wing with the untested Ross McCausland up front.

Isco rewinds time

Even though he isn’t as strong as he once was,

the former Real Madrid midfielder can still play with the best of them.

The 31-year-old, five-time Champions League winner pokes and prods in the middle,

never giving the ball away and still capable of charmingly mischievous spurts.

He should still be at the absolute top because he is still a class act.

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