Rangers fans dine on tasty aperitif but main course is still to come

The interval old-timer presented to the Ibrox crowd last night was Ally Dawson. The defender, who played at Rangers for 12 years from 1975, was asked to reflect on what it was like to perform on great European nights in the stadium – the clear implication being that another one was unfolding in Govan.

Dawson was far too modest to relate how he tasted the fine-dining delights of the continental game, playing in the quarter-finals of the European Cup in 1979 against Cologne, rather than mere qualifying-phase aperitifs.

That had required John Greig’s Rangers team to dispose of Juventus and PSV Eindhoven. They did so with two wins across four home and away ties. Enough to take them into the last eight and mighty close to the ultimate footballing feast.

The huge enlargement of football’s two European competitions, and Scotland’s marginalisation, meant Steven Gerrard’s men were last night chasing far more modest aims. They were bidding to simply become one of 48 teams