Rangers earned a 1-1 draw with Premier League opposition as they and Tottenham played out a thrilling Europa League clash on former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou’s return to Ibrox.
A frantic end-to-end encounter saw Hamza Igamane give Gers the lead early in the second half but Postecoglou’s subs made the difference and Dejan Kulusevski finished off a lovely team move for the equaliser 15 minutes from time.
It means both teams are right on the cusp of an all-important top eight spot that would put them straight into the last 16 of the competition with two crucial group stage matches remaining in the New Year.
The draw does mean that Spurs have now only won one game from their last eight and the pressure on Postecoglou won’t have lessened too much after this result, although there were some positive signs from the English outfit.
Follow all the Europa League action with our live blog below:
Dejan Kulusevski reacts to Spurs’s draw with Rangers at Ibrox
Here’s what Dejan Kulusevski had to say after the 1-1 draw.
WATCH: Fraser Forster brilliantly denies Cyriel Dessers late on
Fraser Forster denied Rangers all three points with this superb late save from Cyriel Dessers.
FULL-TIME! Rangers 1-1 Tottenham
It’s over! An entertaining, end-to-end match but it finishes all square. Hamza Igamane gave Rangers the lead with a neat finish before Dejan Kulusevski snatched an equaliser for Spurs.
Both teams were trying to win it but it’s a point apiece. Both teams on 11 point in the Europa League table and are still in the hunt for a top eight spot, right on the cusp currently.
Rangers 1-1 Tottenham, 90+3 mins
One last attack for Rangers as Raskin takes the ball over halfway and Solanke fouls Jefte, so a final chance to pump the ball into the box.
But the ref blows his whistle before the free-kick can be taken!
Rangers 1-1 Tottenham, 90+1 mins
Forster makes a bit of a mess of a ball abck to him and Rangers can get the ball intot he box but Barron fouls Maddison as he lunges for the loose ball. Movign towards the final minute now
CLOSE! Rangers 1-1 Tottenham, 90 mins
Now Spurs go close! They attack, Maddison twists and turns his way into the box and probably should shoot but dinks a chip into the centre. Solanke goes up with a defender and can’t get a clean header from close range, so the ball bounces through to a thankful Butland.
That could easily have been a goal.
We’re into three minutes of injury-time. This is a frantic finale to a breathless match!
Rangers 1-1 Tottenham, 88 mins
Oooh, Lucas Bergvall is a lucky boy! Already ona yellow card he clatters a Rangers player in the right corner and after awarding the free-kick, the referee’s hand goes towards his pocket as he runs over. He seems to clock it’s Bergvall and then decides not to issue the second yellow for the sending off.
I thought his first yellow was harsh, so I don’t mind that but the ref thought about the red!
NO GOAL! Rangers 1-1 Tottenham, 87 mins
Rangers have the ball in the net as Dessers hammers a cross form the left into the net but the flag goes up to cut short Ibrox’s celebrations. He was clearly off (as were two others) but it’s another warning to Spurs.
SAVE! Rangers 1-1 Tottenham, 86 mins
WAS THAT THE CHANCE! It’s great play by Dessers as he outmuscles a defender and gets himself in on goal. He gets a shot away but it’s a superb save by Forster to stay big and tip the ball wide. Brilliant stuff!
Could Dessers have struck it a moment earlier? Perhaps but the whole ground still thought he’d scored. Forster has saved Spurs’s bacon.
WATCH: Spurs draw level with Rangers
Here’s how Spurs equalised – a classy finish from Kulusevski after a great team move
Source: independent.co.uk
