Why Rangers and the Europa League are a perfect match

According to former Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield, the Ibrox club and the Europa League appear to be a perfect match.

Rangers have found refuge in European football's second-tier tournament this season, as they have in previous years, amid turbulent local waters.

Rangers' victory over Union Saint-Gilloise secured an improbable top-eight position and a safe trip to the last 16 as they advanced to the Europa League knockout stage for the sixth time in a row.

As manager Philippe Clement emphasised afterwards, they did it again despite a challenging game schedule and a slew of injuries, particularly in defence.

Having faced criticism for league performances, particularly away from home, the Rangers manager can now point to a very spectacular achievement this season.

"It's good people started to see more and more things a few months ago people maybe didn't believe," Clement told the audience.

"Qualification for the Europa League is one of these. The club is on the correct path. Is it quick enough to win everything? That is our objective.

"We need to build this culture, and I'm seeing more of it. "They understand what it means to play for this club."

Rangers take the tough route

Rangers' journey to finishing in the top eight was not easy, as they began the last matchday in 13th place in the rankings.

They faced four of the other seven clubs who advanced to the round of 16, including Manchester United, Tottenham, Lyon, and Olympiakos.

Due to a spate of injuries, they had to use seven different back-four combinations throughout eight games.

Right-back Neraysho Kasanwirjo played left back against Malmo before sustaining a season-ending injury.

Left-back Ridvan Yilmaz had to play right-back against two Premier League teams, while James Tavernier was forced to play centre-back against Manchester United and Union.

Ross McCausland, a small right winger, came in on the right side of defence against the Belgians at Ibrox after Leon King was forced off with a head injury early in the first quarter.

Rangers' final two games featured several youngsters on the pitch.

Their perseverance was very outstanding, as they finished eighth while being outscored by only three teams.

"Maybe we don't have the talent of other teams - but it's about mentality," Clement told the crowd. "The belief has been there since the beginning, but now it's time to dig in and give everything we have.

"We had to be incredibly innovative in the last few months, and we did it perfectly.

"Massive clubs with massive budgets have finished behind us, and around us, the achievement is only bigger by beating four of the seven top teams."

Can they turn back the clock to 2022?

Rangers can now wait for next month's knockout round play-offs, knowing they will face either Bodo/Glimt, Anderlecht, Twente, or Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce.

All will be a challenge, but none will instil terror in the Rangers' hearts.

Only Tavernier and Leon Balogun from the present squad had a significant role in their run to the 2022 final, which they lost on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt.

That demonstrates the magnitude of the shift at Ibrox in only a few years. However, the club appears to have muscle memory in the Europa League.

They've already played four of the top seven and only been outclassed by Lyon, and with no teams dropping out of the Champions League this season, they'll be hoping for another deep run.

Furthermore, they can now add players to their team who were not originally registered, such as Danilo and Ianis Hagi, while also waiting for some of their injured players to return.

After the contest, McCausland was asked if he thought they could go all the way.

"Definitely, 100%," he said.

Whether they do or not, Rangers fans may brace themselves for another Europa League trip this spring.