IBROX awaits. In 90 minutes, so could the Europa League final for Rangers.
It will be tense, it will be exhilarating. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side are down, but they are definitely not out after this high-stakes first leg in Leipzig.
The result was not unexpected, but it was also not deserved. Rangers may have limited the damage but this was a night where they could have won and had a foot in Seville.
A late strike from Angelino was cruel on the champions but Van Bronckhorst and the support that followed them to the Red Bull Arena can be proud of their efforts. Now they must ensure that they do not go to waste when they return to Glasgow.
Rangers fans had made themselves at home in Leipzig since the start of the week. This pleasant, chilled city was greeted with a red, white and blue invasion as the travelling support found various ways and combinations of trains, planes and automobiles to make their way to Saxony.
Once they were here, they made their presence felt. Banners were draped from buildings and every excursion around the centre was accompanied by songs and chants in the background as Van Bronckhorst and his players were also serenaded at their team hotel.
The PA operator was in hospitable mood around half an hour from kick-off. Before the German rock ballads were turned up and the scarves were twirled, a rendition of the Blue Sea of Ibrox was given a surprising airing.
The dedicated away section on the far side of this impressive, imposing arena steadily swelled in number and rose in decibel level. All around the ground, there were pockets of Rangers fans as they once again backed Van Bronckhorst’s side in terrific fashion.
They arrived with hope and with expectation. Once you get to this stage, the competition and the opposition are to be savoured and respected rather than feared and Rangers had proven in previous ties that they more than belonged at this level.
There will have been some in the away end who can still recall the semi-finals of 1961 and 1967, who still have the memories and mementos from Barcelona. For others, that night in Fiorentina will be the barometer against which every European adventure is judged.
There have been moments throughout the campaign where they have not been as assured or as comfortable as in previous seasons, but Van Bronckhorst has found a way to get the results. This was his biggest challenge to date.
The absences of Aaron Ramsey and Kemar Roofe compounded his selection issues. Already without Filip Helander, Ianis Hagi and Alfredo Morelos – all of whom would surely have started if fit and available – the Dutchman had to be creative in his approach.
The back five, which saw John Lundstram drop a line deeper to partner Connor Goldson and Calvin Bassey, was a statement from Rangers. They were here to compete, but they were here to be compact.
For large swathes of the first half, the blueprint worked perfectly well. There were stages when Leipzig looked threatening, but a side assembled at such cost and in such fine form were always going to dominate the ball and look to make their class tell in front of their home crowd.
Rangers only had around a quarter of the possession in the first 45 minutes. Crucially, the scoreboard wasn’t troubled and keeper Allan McGregor wasn’t as busy as he probably thought that he would be.
An error from Borna Barisic wasn’t punished by Christopher Nkunku as Bassey made a brilliant block. A couple of minutes later, Goldson ushered Konrad Laimer wide and timed his intervention perfectly.
The tactics and the selection from Van Bronckhorst were understandable and predictable. The end was always going to justify the means if a result was earned.
He would, though, have liked to have seen more quality on the ball when Rangers had it and the champions struggled to assert themselves as an attacking presence in the first half.
The front pairing of Ryan Kent and Scott Wright, who was preferred to Fashion Sakala, just didn’t have the wherewithal to hold the ball up and worry Leipzig. As a result, the respite from the RB pressure was brief and keeper Peter Gulacsi was rarely involved.
A free-kick from James Tavernier came to nothing, while Goldson nodded over a Barisic corner. A bang on the head was all the Englishman got for his efforts.
Come the whistle, Rangers could be satisfied with their endeavours. It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective and a case of so far so good as the half ended with the scores level.
In the opening minutes of the second, Rangers should have reaped the rewards of a tactical switch that saw Kent and Wright operate wider and Joe Aribo pushed forward. Finally, Rangers looked like they could score.
A driven low cross from Kent was inches away from the bottom corner and agonisingly out of Tavernier’s reach. The captain saw a shot blocked on the angle and Goldson headed over from the resulting corner as the home crowd started to voice their frustrations.
The hour mark had soon come and gone. Rangers continued to grow in stature and Leipzig looked bereft of ideas as Van Bronckhorst made his first switch that saw Sakala replace Wright.
Just minutes later, Rangers had their biggest let off thus far as Nkunku skewed a strike high and wide of target when he seemed certain to score. The hard work was done as he nipped in behind and round McGregor but it was an awful finish from a forward who has struck 17 times in the Bundesliga this term.
Nkunku headed wide of target minutes later and McGregor saved from Tyler Adams. From the corner that followed, Angelino produced a moment of magic to give Leipzig the lead with a dipping strike from distance.
It was harsh on Rangers, but those are the margins at this level. It was a cruel blow for them to suffer, but it need not be a fatal one.
There were enough positives here for Rangers to have the belief and bullishness that they can overcome the result and the odds to book their place in the final.
It will come down to one night at Ibrox. Rangers need not fear their foe as they continue to fly the flag for Scotland.
