Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
The 2021/22 season will live long in the memory of Glasgow Rangers fans as Scotland's most successful club and one of world football's most decorated sides made it to the final of the Europa League in Seville. The Gers blazed a trail of glory from the playoff qualifying rounds through to the decisive match, despite losing each of their opening two group games against Lyon and Prague.
It was a run that came against all the odds and caught European football by surprise, showcasing the great work done by manager Giovanni Van Bronkhorst, Roy McKay and the rest of the staff in Govan.
The leading bookies opposed the Scots at every turn, with several online sportsbook reviews showing the bookies were consistently punched by GVB and his band of overachievers. The players punched above their weight, paying no attention to the predictions and expectations of so-called football experts.
Captain James Tavernier collected the Golden Boot after crossing the finish line as the tournament's top goalscorer. He was joined in the Europa League team of the year by other regulars of the Glasgow side, who have been crowned champions of Scotland a record 55 times. But the fans were credited with helping to drive their heroes to some memorable nights in Govan.
Ibrox Stadium sits at the heart of Glasgow and is an impressive sight, attracting millions of visitors every year. Crowds descend on the historic arena on matchday, but Ibrox also serves as a popular venue for concerts and other sporting events. Stadium tours are regularly sold out as Rangers fans and tourists flock to see the club's haul of silverware and unique awards. At the same time, there is a restaurant, various hospitality suites and function rooms.
The stadium was opened in 1899 and has witnessed some special nights under the lights, but few can match the electricity and passion of last season's European run as the club hosted some of the continent's biggest names. Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Red Star Belgrade came to Ibrox and left empty-handed, beaten by a Gers side that seemed to feed off the crowd.
The main stand, a listed building that dates back to 1928, was rocked to its very foundations on more than one occasion in 2022 as a crowd of more than 50,000 roared on the boys in blue.
Rangers scalped some of Europe's big names during that run to the final, which eventually ended with a penalty shootout defeat to German side Eintracht Frankfurt in Seville following a 1-1 draw. But the most impressive performance of the season at Ibrox ended in a draw when Rangers finished level with German Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund on Thursday, 24th February.
The Scots had already achieved what appeared to be the impossible pre-match when beating Dortmund in Germany, and they did it in style, delighting the hardy band of away supporters with a stunning 4-2 win. That result raised a few eyebrows across Europe, but it was nothing less than the Gers deserved.
Despite a resounding victory, the removal of the away goal rule kept the fixture alive, with Munich needing to win by two or more clear goals to force the tie into extra time. Many respected pundits and former players believed the Germans would heed the warnings of the first leg, come to Glasgow and get the two or more goals needed to keep them in the tournament. The general feeling in Scottish football was that Rangers had sprung a surprise in Munich, and the same wouldn't happen twice.
No one thought to tell the Gers loyal, and they packed Ibrox Stadium on game night with high expectations. The visitors had never witnessed an atmosphere like that, and it seemed nervy in the opening exchanges. Rangers pounced on that opportunity, taking the lead on 22 minutes thanks to a penalty scored by Tavernier.
Quickfire goals from Bellingham - who was full of praise for the Ibrox crowd - and Malen made it 2-1 to the visitors before the interval. Game on, or so people thought. A late strike from Tav made it 2-2 on the night, sending Rangers through 6-4 on aggregate.
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