Rangers’ impressive run in the Europa League came to a close at the quarter-final stage following a 2-0 aggregate loss to Athletic Bilbao at the formidable San Mames stadium.
Barry Ferguson’s men had fought valiantly in the first leg to keep the scoreline goalless, even after an early red card to defender Robin Propper.
That resilience was put to the test again in Spain, where the Scottish side held out until first-half stoppage time. A costly error saw John Souttar give away a penalty, which Oihan Sancet calmly slotted home to tilt the tie in the hosts’ favour.
The blow was made heavier by the injuries to key defenders Ridvan Yilmaz and Leon Balogun during the match.
Despite those setbacks, Rangers emerged more determined in the second half, and midfielder Nicolas Raskin nearly drew them level, only to see his close-range effort rattle off the post.
But with just 10 minutes left, Spanish international Nico Williams delivered the final blow, nodding home a pinpoint cross to confirm Bilbao’s passage to the semi-finals.
The Ibrox outfit were desperate to make a strong start, especially considering they had conceded the opening two goals in seven of their last 10 matches, six of those under Ferguson, who took charge temporarily after Philippe Clement’s February departure.
Yilmaz, deployed at right wing-back, was sharp early on, blocking a close-range effort from Sancet in the eighth minute. Liam Kelly followed up with a fine save from Williams before skipper James Tavernier got in the way of another Sancet attempt.
However, Yilmaz’s night ended prematurely due to injury, forcing Ferguson to bring on midfielder Connor Barron. That prompted a tactical reshuffle — Tavernier moved to wing-back, Jefte slotted into the back three, and Mohamed Diomande switched to the left flank.
The remainder of the first half was a defensive grind for Rangers. Balogun saw yellow for a foul on Maroan Sannadi, while referee Irfan Peljto waved off Cyriel Dessers’ appeal for a penalty after he appeared to be tugged by Yeray Alvarez.
Bilbao continued to pile on the pressure. Alex Berenguer curled an effort just wide from distance, and Williams squandered a golden opportunity from eight yards after a clever cut-back by Sannadi.
Sancet also missed a one-on-one with Kelly, blazing over — but the reprieve didn’t last long. Souttar brought down Sannadi, and Sancet stepped up to send Kelly the wrong way from the spot.
Ferguson responded by bringing on Clinton Nsiala for Ianis Hagi, prompting another reshuffle: Jefte returned to wing-back, and Diomande reverted to midfield.
But Rangers’ night took another blow early in the second half when Balogun had to be replaced after a clash of heads with Souttar.
Striker Hamza Igamane came on, and the team switched to a back four, further unsettling their structure.
Nevertheless, Rangers nearly found a lifeline in the 58th minute when Raskin struck the post, exploiting a rare gap in the Bilbao defence. The game opened up, and tension crackled through the stadium.
Vaclav Cerny’s clever chip nearly reached Dessers at the far post, but Bilbao responded with equal threat. Berenguer’s deflected shot earned a corner that Rangers defended doggedly.
But their resolve finally gave way when Oscar de Marcos floated a perfect cross behind Tavernier, and Williams rose to head it high beyond Kelly, sealing Rangers’ fate and ending a spirited European campaign.
