Once again, ‘I’m Feeling It’ was ringing out all around a vibrant Ibrox Stadium after another fond European encounter and it is fair to say that Union Saint-Gilloise well and truly felt an impact too.
Rangers reached the required heights, literally in the case of Malik Tillman and his third goal, as the challenge to overcome a two goal deficit was conquered and a Champions League Playoff against PSV was secured.
They came hoping to finish the job but all that Union Saint-Gilloise were left with was disappointment and a sense of what if. They fronted up as best they could, including the pre-match media briefings but without a decent European pedigree or a familiarity of a cauldron-like Ibrox, they were always going to be up against it, in the face of a good team and a raucous home crowd.
USG CEO Phillipe Bormans stated that they were encountered by a pressure they had never known which was the desired outcome for Giovanni van Bronckhorst, as his team did the rest. As long as the players perform on the pitch, the rest is guaranteed, in terms of the atmosphere and backing on these wonderful European nights.
Bormans said of the experience:
“Obviously we are disappointed, I think we have to be. We were close but we have to be honest too. It was deserved. They won, they started this match well from the first minute, with a bit of luck of course. If this first goal does not fall, we return to half-time at 0-0.”
“But in the end, it’s football, we have to stay correct. Today, we were under a pressure that we had never known. The speed of play was enormous. This team played in the Final of the Europa League a few months ago, it was seen.”
It may be the first leg and therefore not the decider against PSV next Tuesday but the volume levels are set to be cranked up even higher.
We can’t wait.