Rangers and Tottenham Hotspur delivered a thrilling contest on Thursday evening in the Europa League, finishing 1-1 as the Gers dashed Ange Postecoglou's hopes of securing all three points in his return to Glasgow.
While the first half ended goalless, it was a lively, end-to-end affair that saw both sides create plenty of promising opportunities, with Rangers the happier of the two heading into the break as their energetic performance meant they looked the more likely to score, taking nine shots to Tottenham's six, with Vaclav Cerny looking particularly threatening.
The Gers made Tottenham wait for the restart, with Philippe Clement's half-time team talk stretching beyond the allocated 15 minutes, but they certainly ensured the fans were not kept waiting, opening the scoring less than two minutes into the second half when Hamza Igamane was expertly picked out by James Tavernier's teasing cross, and the striker made no mistake with his finish, dispatching into the bottom right corner to send Ibrox into a frenzy.
Clement's men continued to persistently hound and hassle the Tottenham players as the game progressed, battling to maintain their lead and even add a second, though Spurs did gradually begin to control the ball for longer stretches as they searched for their way back into the match.
Tottenham did eventually break Rangers' resolve when a prolonged period of possession saw Dejan Kulusevski play the ball to Dominic Solanke before receiving it back just inside the area, with his strike going back across goal, out of reach of Jack Butland, and nestling in the bottom right corner, giving them their equaliser with 15 minutes remaining.
The final stages of the encounter made for a riveting spectacle as both sides pushed for a late winner, with Cyriel Dessers coming closest when his goal was denied by an offside flag, before the final whistle finally blew to bring an end to the superb showing.
RANGERS VS. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR HIGHLIGHTS
Hamza Igamane goal vs. Tottenham Hotspur (47th min, Rangers 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur)
IBROX IS ROCKING!
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 12, 2024
Rangers take the lead over Tottenham through Hamza Igamane following a perfect ball from James Tavernier 💥
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/vVhrOAkGml
Igamane gives Rangers the lead, Ibrox has erupted into a frenzy!
Tavernier receives the ball just inside his half, and the full-back steams down the right side before clipping a delightfully teasing early cross into the box.
The cross cuts between the two central defenders and reaches Igamane at the penalty spot, where the striker slots the ball into the bottom right corner with a controlled side-foot finish.
Dejan Kulusevski goal vs. Rangers (75th min, Rangers 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur)
Cool, calm and collected 👏
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 12, 2024
Dejan Kulusevski slots home to get Tottenham level 🎯
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/JDbIhu1Wny
Tottenham have an equaliser, Kulusevski with a wonderful finish!
Kulusevski starts the move as he plays a give-and-go with Pedro Porro before passing the ball into the path of Solanke, who had made a run between full-back and centre-back towards the byline.
The winger continues his run and receives the ball back from Solanke just inside the area, via a brilliant dummy from James Maddison, and strikes back across goal and into the bottom corner.
MAN OF THE MATCH - HAMZA IGAMANE
© Imago
The striker may have started the season as second choice behind Cyriel Dessers, but he has certainly made that role his own in recent weeks, reinforcing that with a superb performance tonight.
Igamane was a constant threat throughout the first half, highlighted by a brilliant sequence where he skilfully evaded two defenders in quick succession with successive nutmegs, before securing the breakthrough with a composed finish in the second half.
RANGERS VS. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MATCH STATS
Possession: Rangers 41%-59% Tottenham Hotspur
Shots: Rangers 15-12 Tottenham Hotspur
Shots on target: Rangers 6-3 Tottenham Hotspur
Corners: Rangers 7-7 Tottenham Hotspur
Fouls: Rangers 9-9 Tottenham Hotspur
BEST STATS
Dejan Kulusevski has scored in back-to-back games in a season for the first time in a Spurs shirt. pic.twitter.com/2OCxs5T8XW
— StatMuse FC (@statmusefc) December 12, 2024
WHAT NEXT?
The draw for Rangers means they climb to eighth in the Europa League table with 11 points from six outings, and they will aim to secure their place in the top eight in their final two fixtures against Manchester United and Union Saint-Gilloise in January.
As for Tottenham, their winless run is extended to five matches across all competitions, while they sit ninth in the Europa League table, behind Rangers on goal difference, something they will look to address when they take on Hoffenheim and Elfsborg in the new year.
Ellis Stevens
