September 22, (THEWILL) – Glasgow Rangers notched a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Real Betis in Thursday night’s Europa League group stage fixture at Ibrox Stadium to open their campaign with maximum points.
A second half strike from Abdallah Sima was enough to give the Scottish side the win in their Group C opener. The game was a tightly contested affair between the two favorites to progress from the group. Betis carved out the better chances in the first half, with Abdessamad Ezzalzouli forcing fine saves from Rangers keeper Jack Butland.
However, the home side improved after the break and eventually made the breakthrough eight minutes past the hour mark. In the melee of a goalmouth scramble, Sima poked the ball home from close range to break the deadlock. Betis pushed for an equaliser late on but were denied by some crucial stops from Butland.
Rangers also struck the goal frame twice in an impressive second half performance. Manager Michael Beale will be delighted with the hard-fought victory against tough Spanish opposition. His side showed resilience and determination to grind out the win after a shaky start. The three points give Rangers a perfect start in their quest to reach the Europa League knockout stages.
The result also continues the Gers’ recovering start under new boss Beale. After three wins from five games in all competitions, they now face a game against Motherwell at home on Sunday as they look to keep pace with teams at the top of the Scottish Premiership table. That same day, Betis host Cadiz in La Liga.
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.
