Panathinaikos vs Rangers: Rangers keep Champions League dream alive with battling performance in Athens

Rangers have produced a backs-to-the-wall performance in Athens to draw with Panathinaikos and keep their Champions League dream alive.

Russell Martin’s side left the Greek capital with a 1-1 result that secured a 3-1 aggregate win and booked their place in the third-round qualifiers.

They have now guaranteed European league phase football this season and are just two ties away from reaching the continent’s top competition for the first time since 2022.

Despite taking a two-goal lead into the game, it wasn’t all plain sailing for the visitors who had to survive more than a few nervy moments, particularly in the first half.

It looked as though qualification would be a tall order when Filip Duricic opened the scoring for Panathinaikos early in the second half to put the home side 1-0 up on the night.

But, just as he did last week, Djeidi Gassama came off the bench to score a vital equaliser that restored a two-goal aggregate lead.

Rangers had to withstand some early pressure as the hosts looked to get themselves back into the tie with a string of attacks.

Tasos Bakasetas fired just wide of the post within the first five minutes before Facundo Pellistri forced a crucial save from Jack Butland.

The Rangers goalkeeper was forced into action again soon after when he turned a close-range header from Fotis Ioannidis behind for a corner.

Panathinaikos continued to dominate possession, and Pellistri should have scored midway through the first half when Duricic took advantage of some slack defending to cut the ball across the box to the Uruguayan forward, but he failed to get his shot on target.

Rangers were living dangerously at this stage as they struggled to keep hold of the ball or get out of their own half.

Nico Raskin came close to grabbing a vital away goal against the run of play towards the end of the first 45 when he headed a Joe Rothwell cross over the bar.

The game remained goalless at the break as Rangers took their two goal aggregate lead into the second-half.

The home side broke the deadlock just ten minutes after the restart when Duricic headed past Butland to make it 1-0 on the night and reduce the deficit.

The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but awarded after a lengthy VAR check found the Serbian to be onside.

However, Rangers restored their two-goal lead almost instantly when Gassama fired a volley past the Panathinaikos goalkeeper with his first touch after coming off the bench to make 1-1 and 3-1 on aggregate just before the hour mark.