December 01, (THEWILL) – Rangers were held to a 1-1 draw by Cypriot side, Aris Limassol, in a UEFA Europa League group stage match on Thursday. The result means Rangers will have to wait until their final group match to confirm if they will progress to the UEFA Europa League knockout rounds or drop down to the Europa Conference League.
The Light Blues went behind in the 28th minute when Aris forward, Shavy Babicka, scored on the counter attack. Rangers manager Philippe Clement made a first half substitution, bringing on 22-year-old Ross McCausland for Todd Cantwell. The change paid off just after half-time when McCausland scored his first ever Rangers goal to equalise.
The second half performance from Rangers improved but only marginally. They were unable to find a winner despite several opportunities. Clement’s unbeaten record now moves to 9 matches without defeat since taking over as manager, but Rangers fans booed at full time unsatisfied with the team’s overall display.
With one group match remaining, Rangers sit second in Group C on eight points. They trail leaders Real Betis by one point and hold a point advantage over third place Sparta Prague. Securing at least third place guarantees Rangers a spot in the Conference League knockout phase. Finishing top two would see them enter the Europa League round of 32.
Rangers will travel to Spain to face Real Betis in their final group encounter next month. They will need to match or better Sparta Prague’s result to ensure Europa League qualification. But the team’s lacklustre performance versus Cypriot minnows Aris Limassol shows Rangers have plenty of work ahead if they are to progress deeper into European competition in 2024.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
