Rangers' impressive run in the Europa League came to an end at the quarter-final stage with a 2-0 loss to Athletic Bilbao at the San Mames stadium.
Barry Ferguson's team had shown great determination in the first leg to hold Athletic to a goalless draw despite being down to 10 men early on when Robin Propper was sent off. However, they faced more challenges in the second leg, especially when John Souttar conceded a penalty in stoppage time that Oihan Sancet converted.
The defeat was a major setback for Rangers, who also had to deal with injuries to Ridvan Yilmaz and Leon Balogun during the match. Although they improved in the second half and Nicolas Raskin hit the post, a late header from Nico Williams sealed their fate in a 2-0 aggregate defeat.
The importance of a strong start for Rangers was evident, given their recent defensive struggles under Ferguson's tenure.
Athletic dominated after an initial bright spell from Rangers, creating several scoring opportunities that were well dealt with by the visitors' defense and goalkeeper Liam Kelly. Yilmaz's injury forced a reshuffle in the Rangers lineup, but they struggled to contain Athletic's attacks.
Despite some chances for Rangers, including Raskin hitting the post, Athletic's quality eventually made the difference with Williams' decisive goal in the closing stages of the game.