Liam Kelly was the penalty save hero as 10-man Rangers fought furiously to hold Athletic Bilbao to a goalless draw in an absorbing Europa League quarter-final tie at Ibrox.
Barry Ferguson made the big call to drop under-fire keeper Jack Butland for the Scotland international who sensationally saved a 79th minute spot-kick from substitute Alex Berenguer.
However, long before that – in the 13th minute – the former Gers captain watched defender Robin Propper sent off for a challenge on Inaki Williams, after originally being shown a yellow.
⛔️ | @liamm_kelly#UEL pic.twitter.com/jnmHOsIYMo
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) April 10, 2025
The home side valiantly held out against Ernesto Valverde’s side through 12 added minutes and have plenty to play for in the second leg in Spain next Thursday night – and Ferguson will be pleased with the attitude and application of his players.
Following the demoralising weekend defeat by Hibernian at Ibrox former Gers captain Ferguson promised to make big changes with two enforced as centre-back John Souttar and midfielder Mohamed Diomande were suspended.
Aside from dropping Butland, Ferguson also left out Jefte, Connor Barron and Hamza Igamane and brought in Propper, Leon Balogun and Ridvan Yilmaz, 18-year-old midfielder Bailey Rice – making only his second start – and attacker Ianis Hagi.
The strongly-fancied visitors had wingers Nico Williams and his brother Inaki Williams in their attack, but they too made a raft of changes with Spain midfielder Oihan Sancet returning from a thigh problem.
Rangers’ task, however, became increasingly difficult when they went down to 10 men so early in the game.
Propper brought down Inaki Williams with a rash tackle and Romania referee Istvan Kovacs initially gave a free-kick and a yellow card for the Dutchman then went to the pitch side monitor and upgraded to a red for denying the Athletic attacker a goalscoring opportunity.
As Valverde’s side stretched the Gers defence Yilmaz blocked an effort from Inaki Williams before Ferguson picked up a caution for a touchline infringement, after Hagi had been chopped down by Inigo Ruiz De Galarreta, also booked.
Kelly made good saves from Maroan Sannadi, who had put a couple of earlier efforts wide, and Sancet, before Nico Williams flashed a shot from 14 yards high over the bar.
Dessers also headed over just before the break but the Spanish side pressed hard at the start of the second half and Sannadi was booked for diving inside the Gers box, before he missed the target from six yards, a real let-off for the home side.
Just after the hour mark Rice was carried from the field on a stretcher with his neck in a brace after a lengthy spell of treatment.
When Kelly blocked a close-range shot from Gorka Guruzeta, the ball fell kindly to fellow substitute Berenguer who drove in from four yards.
However, a long VAR check eventually saw referee Kovacs go to check his monitor, disallow the goal for offside and award a penalty for handball against defender Dujon Sterling.
There was mass confusion inside the stadium then roars of delight from the Gers fans when Berenguer’s penalty struck the leg of Kelly and flew over the bar and the Gers keeper clutched the corner out the air.
The final stages saw Rangers dig deep into their reserves to keep dominant Athletic at bay and in added time Sterling was helped off to leave the home side with nine men as all the substitutes were used, but Rangers held out.
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
