GOAL MACHINE
Right-back who can hit target at all times
RANGERS have had plenty of heroes on the road to Seville but none more so than captain James Tavernier.
Incredibly, the 30-yearold is the top scorer in the Europa League this season with seven goals – and this is from a right-back.
All of his strikes have come in the knockout stages as well to help fire the Ibrox men to the brink of history.
Borussia Dortmund 2-4 Rangers
Tavernier set Gers on their way to one of their greatest ever European triumphs. The Light Blues legions held their breath as VAR checked a handball call. The penalty was given and the skipper kept his cool to slam home from the spot to make it 1-0.
Rangers 2-2 Dortmund
The skipper was at it again as he did the business from the spot once more to open the scoring in the home leg against the Germans after Ryan Kent was tripped.
Tav was under pressure to notch a goal that would give Gers a huge cushion and there was no mistake.
But any notion that the penalty would make it a comfortable night soon went out the window as Dortmund turned it around to go 2-1 ahead on the night.
But Tavernier produced a trademark run to get on to the end of Calvin Bassey’s cross and tuck in to the net to send Gers through. Rangers 3-0 Red Star
Ibrox was rocking as
Rangers made a quite incredible start against the Serbians. But the skipper was calm as usual as he got his side off to a flier inside 11 minutes.
Ryan Kent again won the spot-kick and the captain did what he does best.
Rangers 3-1 Braga
The foundations were shaking in Govan again at kick-off – and the roof was raised when Tavernier got Rangers off to another flier in Europe.
It took just two minutes for the full-back to make his mark when he burst in to the box to add the slick finishing touch after Joe Aribo had helped along Borna Barisic’s cross.
It was back to dreamland before the interval as Rangers’ dominance over the Portuguese outfit saw them go two up.
Striker Kemar Roofe did the hard yards, getting bundled over in the box and while Braga reeled from the red card to Vitor Tormena, Tavernier drilled his penalty home.
Rangers 3-1 RB Leipzig
Gio van Bronckhorst’s men faced a tough task overturning the Bundesliga big guns’ first-leg lead but yet again it was Captain Fantastic who got his men up and running.
This time it took 18 minutes and it was a familiar sight as Glen Kamara picked out Kent and he crossed to the back stick – where everyone knew who would be charging in. It set the tone for a famous win.