A pulsating, often deeply frustrating evening ended with Ibrox shaking to its foundations and José Mourinho consoling his Fenerbahce players on the pitch. They had erased Rangers’ first-leg advantage through two goals from Sebastian Szymanski and the tie’s momentum swung in both directions during a frantic spell of extra time. It took a shoot-out to spark delirium, Jack Butland saving from Dusan Tadic and Fred before Mert Hakan Yandas spooned over to ensure Rangers will face Athletic Bilbao in the last eight.
“In the eye of a Rangers storm,” read a banner displayed before kick-off, displaying the logos of their four vanquished group stage opponents but tactfully omitting Fenerbahce for now. The job was only half-done but there was the tantalising prospect that an early tornado could all but complete it. Mourinho’s players’ had simply not dealt with Rangers’ intensity in the first leg and a pulsating Ibrox was evidently ready to provoke a repeat.
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They roared when Cyriel Dessers, scorer of their opener last week, hared on to a ball down the right channel and the decibel level rose further when Nicolas Raskin’s burst to the byline yielded a corner. Mourinho had brought Fred, suspended for the initial meeting, back into midfield but Fenerbahce’s problems appeared familiar. They could call on a raft of garlanded names, albeit with varying records of top-level durability, but matching Rangers for dynamism and urgency was another matter.
Vaclav Cerny, two-goal hero of Istanbul, could have shone again in the 10th minute but fluffed his effort from a volleyed cutback by Jefté. Soon afterwards his deflected shot was held by Irfan Can Egribayat, who also caught a header from John Souttar. It boded ill for Mourinho, whose silver-clad figure had already discerned several topics of conversation for the fourth official.
He found a particularly hot one when Anderson Talisca, pouncing on some uncertain defensive play, tumbled under a Jefté challenge on the edge of the box. Talisca was booked for diving, which appeared harsh, and the away bench’s fulsome protests brought censure for one of Mourinho’s ancillary staff.
Sections of the crowd briefly thought another drive from Cerny, whistled narrowly wide of the near post, had snuck in. Fenerbahce could not handle the Czech whenever he surged forwards from deep. Another such thrust on the half-hour brought a desperate intervention from Mert Müldür when the chance appeared to have opened up. The visitors looked pedestrian by contrast and could have paid when Egribayat almost let a backpass creep over his goalline.
They should, though, have summoned a lifeline when Youssef En-Nesyri slashed badly wide at the far post. It was a reminder Fenerbahce could, when sufficiently energised, still pose an almighty threat and it reappeared devastatingly as half-time neared. Ibrox had recently risen to applaud in memory of Christopher Potter, the supporter who died before last Thursday’s game, when Filip Kostic delivered from the left and Szymanski hooked an outstanding volley beyond Butland.
Inspiration had trumped its more earnest soundalike and now the second period wore an altogether different complexion. Dessers went to ground during a goalmouth scramble but Fenerbahce had grown in authority. Kostic screamed for a penalty when his shot struck Ridvan Yilmaz, a recently-introduced substitute, although his case was optimistic. Mourinho made further enquiries of his own; Rangers could at least reflect that, by the hour, they had not been opened up again.
Their opponents, a team of flashes, began to drift. Perhaps space would open up to punish them, Dessers finding some but miscuing an acrobatic attempt before Cerny was crowded out again. The tension was mounting with every move, a fretful support watching through their fingers as Rangers turned possession over. Finally Fenerbahce carved out a chance to level the tie but Talisca, climbing high, headed past the post of a relieved Butland. Then Hamza Igamane, with his first action since coming on, forced a parry from Egribayat.
Mourinho was readying Edin Dzeko and Tadic when Szymanski, his jab squirting underneath Butland after Mert Muldur’s centre, confirmed local fears. He deployed the cavalry anyway and Rangers diced with disaster on the rocky road towards extra time. Ianis Hagi, just failing to make contact, almost sparked delirium but the additional period came to feel welcome.
Cerny, still going strong, demanded a flying stop of Egribayat and the game remained anyone’s. The keeper also batted away a James Tavernier free-kick as Rangers retained a threat. They tightened up, even though Dzeko and Yusuf Akcicek both came close. Mourinho had time to receive an overdue booking but his team soon paid a far more severe penalty.
