Coach Barry Ferguson commended Super Eagles duo Leon Balogun and Cyriel Dessers, along with their teammates, for putting in strong performances as ten-man Rangers battled to a hard-fought goalless draw against Athletic Club in Thursday’s UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg.

It looked like disaster would strike early, but the Nigerian stars stood tall when Rangers needed them most, Footballrover reports.

With a man down and their backs to the wall, Balogun and Dessers story turned from panic to pride in front of a stunned Ibrox crowd.

Balogun and Dessers shine in high-pressure clash

Rangers were forced into survival mode just 10 minutes into the Europa League clash after Robin Propper saw red for denying a clear scoring chance.

But Rangers refused to fold. Leon Balogun delivered a commanding performance in defence, cutting out wave after wave of Athletic Bilbao attacks.

Cyriel Dessers also played his part, pressing from the front and making life difficult for the Spanish visitors.

The turning point came in the 76th minute when Alex Berenguer thought he’d scored. VAR ruled the goal out, instead awarding a penalty, which substitute goalkeeper Liam Kelly saved spectacularly.

Ferguson applauds grit from Leon, Cyriel and Rangers unit

Speaking after the match, Barry Ferguson was full of praise for Rangers display.

“Conceding soft goals has been an issue, but tonight, the defenders put their bodies on the line, and that’s what I expect,” he told RangersTV.

He also credited the entire squad for their work ethic, noting how vital it was with nine men on the pitch late in the game.

“It wasn’t just the defenders; everyone worked for each other in the midfield and upfront. When you get that, you tend to get positive results. But when you have three, four or five who aren’t prepared to do that, then you suffer,” he noted.

The gaffer added that,

“I need to give the boys credit, especially after playing 80 minutes plus 12 minutes added on, then going down to nine men with Dujon [Sterling] going off.”

Rangers will now head into the return leg in Spain with renewed belief, thanks to the resilience of the duo and their teammates who refused to back down, even when the odds were stacked against them.

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Last Updated on April 11, 2025 11:48 am by Sir Kris