Since Rangers returned to European competition in 2017, the club and the Europa League have been a match made in heaven.
For a dejected fan base, the Glasgow giants’ relegation to the Scottish lower leagues ended a seven-year drought of no continental away visits.
However, Rangers experienced a rollercoaster of emotions in the Europa League after placing third in the Scottish Premiership in 2016–17, from the lows of Progres Niederkorn to the highs of making it to the competition’s final.
Since the start of the Pedro Caixinha era, Rangers have participated in 70 Europa League games, including qualifications and play-offs, and they have won an amazing 35 of those matches, according to Fitbastats.
Over the last seven years, there have been just 14 games lost and 21 draws, for an amazing losing rate of just 20%.
This is the whole Rangers Europa League record, courtesy of Michael Beale, Philippe Clement, Steven Gerrard, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, and Caixinha.
Rangers’ Europa League campaign takes a drastic turn for the better after this awful start. Rangers were expected to have no trouble winning both of their legs against Progres Niederkorn, the Luxembourg minnows.
Kenny Miller’s goal gave the Light Blues a 1-0 lead in the first leg, but the return match ended in utter tragedy. At the first few hurdles, Progres eliminated the 1972 European Cup Winners’ Cup champions from Europe with a remarkable 2-1 aggregate victory.
After the loss, manager Pedro Caixinha famously found himself fighting with Rangers supporters in a bush near the Stade Josy Barthel, and it goes without saying that his reputation at Ibrox never really recovered.
Rangers defeated Progres Niederkorn 1-0 in the first qualifying round’s first leg.
Rangers 2-0 Progres Niederkorn (1st Qualifying Round, 2nd Leg)
Total score: W1 L1
How different from the previous season. Rangers get a second chance to qualify for the Europa League after finishing third in the 2017–18 Scottish Premiership.
Fortunately, victories over NK Osijek, Maribor, and FK Shkupi guaranteed the Light Blues a spot in the play-off round against FC Ufa.
Then, for the first time since 2010, Steven Gerrard would lead Rangers into the Europa League group stage, where they would ultimately place third behind Rapid Vienna and Villarreal.
With a thrilling victory over the Austrians at Ibrox and a draw against the Spaniards, the campaign got off to an incredible start. However, Rangers’ withdrawal from the tournament was marked by two draws and two losses.
Outcomes
NK Osijek 0-1 Rangers (2nd Qualifying Round, 1st Leg); Rangers 2-0 FK Shkupi (1st Qualifying Round, 1st Leg); FK Shkupi 0-0 Rangers (1st Qualifying Round, 2nd Leg)
Rangers 0–NK Osijek (2nd Leg, 2nd Qualifying Round)
Rangers 3-1 Maribor (3rd Leg, 3rd Qualifying Round)
Rangers 0–Maribor (3rd Leg, 2nd Qualifying Round)
Rangers 1-0 FC Ufa (first leg of the playoffs) FC Ufa 1-1 Rangers (second leg of the playoffs)
Rangers 2-2 Villarreal (Group G, Matchday 1)
Rapid Vienna 3-1 Rangers (Group G, Matchday 2)
Spartak Moscow 0–0 Rangers (Group G, Matchday 3)
Rangers 4-3 Spartak Moscow (Group G, Matchday 4)
Villarreal 0–0 Rangers (Group G, Matchday 5)
Rangers 1-0 Rapid Vienna (Group G, Matchday 6)
Total history: W5 D7 L2
2019–20: The Final 16
Rangers’ Ianis Hagi free kick vs Braga
AFP/ANDY BUCHANAN photo accessed through Getty Images
The following season, Rangers improved even further as they defeated Bayer Leverkusen to advance to the round of sixteen. Once more, Gerrard’s men advanced to the group stage by beginning from the bottom.
They defeated the Luxembourg team to exact revenge for their terrible 2017 aggregate loss to Progres Niederkorn, and they also triumphed admirably over FC Midtjylland and Legia Warsaw.
Rangers, Porto, Feyenoord, and Young Boys formed a formidable group, but nine points from six games—two of which were against Porto—would be sufficient to advance to the round of 32.
Before an incredible 1-0 victory was gained in Portugal to put Rangers into dreamland, Ianis Hagi scored an incredible goal in the 82nd minute of the first leg against Braga at Ibrox.
The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak caused the tie to be interrupted, but Bayer Leverkusen proved to be too much for the Gers, winning 4-1 overall.
Outcomes
First Qualifying Round, First Leg: Rangers 6-0 St. Joseph’s; First Qualifying Round, Second Leg: St. Joseph’s 0-4 Rangers
The Rangers Niederkorn Progres 2-0 (2nd Qualifying Round, 1st Leg)
Rangers 0–Progres Niederkorn (2nd Leg, 2nd Qualifying Round)
Rangers 2-4 FC Mitdtjylland (3rd Qualifying Round, First Leg)
FC Mitdtjylland 3-1 Rangers (3rd Qualifying Round, 2nd Leg)
Rangers 0–Legica Warsaw (Play-Off Round, First Leg)
Rangers 1-0 Legia Warsaw (2nd Leg, Play-Off Round)
Feyenoord 1, Rangers 1 (Group G, Matchday 1)
Young Boys 2-1 Rangers (Day 2 of Group G)
Rangers 1-1 Porto (Group G, Matchday 3)
Porto 0–2 Rangers (Group G, Matchday 4)
Feyenoord defeats Rangers 2-2 (Matchday 5, Group G)
Rangers defeats Young Boys 1–1 (Group G, Day 6).
Braga 0-1 Rangers (last 32, 2nd Leg) Rangers 1-3 Braga 3-2 Rangers (last 32, 1st Leg) Rangers 0–Bayer Leverkusen (Last 16, 1st Leg)
Total score: W10 D5 L3.
2020–21: Kemper Roofe in the last 16 of Standard Liege vs. Rangers in Group D of the UEFA Europa League
Image sourced from Getty Images by Jef Matthee/DeFodi Images
Scotland’s higher UEFA coefficient and the elimination of two legs from the qualification and play-off stages due to COVID-19 gave Rangers an easier path to the group stage.
Rangers advanced to the group stage by defeating Willem II, Galatasaray, and Lincoln Red Imps—two of which were away from home. In order to advance, Gerrard’s team had an amazing campaign, going undefeated against Standard Liege, Benfica, and Lech Poznan.
Before scoring nine more goals over the course of two legs in the round of 32 against Royal Antwerp, Rangers had already scored thirteen. The Glasgow giants defeated Slavia Prague 9–5 on aggregate, but they were unable to overcome them in the round of 16.
Outcomes
Lincoln Rangers 0–5 Red Imps in the second qualifying round
Rangers 4–0 Willem II (3rd Qualifying Round)
Galatasaray 2-1 Rangers (Play-Off Round)
Rangers 0–2 Standard Liege (Group D, Matchday 1)
Lech Poznan 1-0 Rangers (Group D, Matchday 2)
Benfica defeats Rangers 3–3 (Matchday 3, Group D)
Benfica 2, Rangers 1 (Group D, Matchday 4)
Standard Liege 3-2 Rangers (Group D, Matchday 5)
Rangers 0–2 Lech Poznan (Group D, Matchday 6)
Rangers from Royal Antwerp 3–4 (Last 32, 1st Leg)
Royal Antwerp 5, Rangers (Last 32, 2nd Leg)
Rangers 0-2 Slavia Prague (Last 16, 2nd Leg) Slavia Prague 1-1 Rangers (Last 16, 1st Leg)
Total history: W9 D3 L1
2021/22 – UEFA Europa League Play-Offs: First Leg: Borussia Dortmund vs. Rangers FC
Picture courtesy of Getty Images and Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images
A few years ago, Rangers’ most memorable season in Europe since 2007–08 was their run to the final in Seville under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Rangers’ success throughout the competition was largely attributed to the Ibrox factor, even though the team dropped five games from the group stage to the semifinals.
After losing their first two group stage matches, Rangers managed to advance to the knockout stage and face Borussia Dortmund thanks to their next two victories and two draws.
Red Star Belgrade lost 4-2 in the round of 16 after securing an incredible 6-4 aggregate victory. Then, owing to outstanding performances at Ibrox, Rangers would overcome deficits in the opening legs against Braga and RB Leipzig to win both.
The Rangers faced Eintracht Frankfurt in the championship game, when Joe Aribo gave the team the lead. This led to wild celebrations inside the Estadio La Cartuja.
However, Frankfurt pulled away from them and went on to win in one of the most agonizing moments in Rangers history thanks to penalties.
Outcomes
Rangers 0-2 Lyon (Group A, Matchday 1) Rangers 1-0 Alashkert (Play-Off Round, First Leg) Alashkert 0-0 Rangers (Play-Off Round, Second Leg)
Rangers 1-0 Sparta Prague (Group A, Matchday 2)
Brondby 0–2 Rangers (Group A, Matchday 3)
Rangers 1–Bromby (Group A, Matchday 4)
Sparta Prague 0–2 Rangers (Group A, Matchday 5)
Rangers 1-1 Lyon (Group A, Matchday 6)
Borussia Dortmund defeated Rangers 2-4 (first leg of the knockout round play-off) Rangers 2-2 Borussia Dortmund (Play-Off, Knockout Round, Second Leg)
Red Star Belgrade 3-0 Rangers (last 16, first leg)
Rangers 2-1 Red Star Belgrade (last 16, 2nd Leg)
Braga 1-0 Rangers (first leg of the quarterfinal) Rangers 3-1 Braga (second leg of the quarterfinal)
Rangers 3-1 RB Leipzig (Semi-Final, First Leg) Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Rangers (Final, lost 5-4 on penalties AET) RB Leipzig 1-0 Rangers
Record overall: W7 D4 L6
2023–2024
Picture courtesy of Getty Images and Joaquin Corchero/Europa Press of Real Betis FC versus Rangers FC in the Europa League
Rangers returned to the Champions League for the 2023–24 season following a terrible 2022–23 campaign that ended with them missing out in the group stage.
After losing to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League play-off round, they went directly into the group stage and were paired with Real Betis, Sparta Prague, and Aris Limassol.
Rangers emerged from the group with a fantastic 3-2 victory in Seville on the last matchday, despite a few setbacks and a manager change. It was a very winnable group.
Giants from Portugal, Benfica, will now play Rangers in the round of 16. After just two competitive games between the sides, neither side has been the other.
Results: Rangers 1-0 Real Betis (Matchday 1, Group C)
Rangers 2-1 Aris Limassol (Group C, Matchday 2)
Rangers 0–Sparta Prague (Group C, Matchday 3)
Sparta Prague 2-1 Rangers (Group C, Matchday 4)
Rangers 1-0 Aris Limassol (Group C, Matchday 5)
Real Betis defeats Rangers 2-3 (Matchday 6 of Group C)
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