Cyriel Dessers and Leon Balogun were instrumental in Rangers’ 0-0 draw against Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final at Ibrox.
The Nigerian internationals both started for Rangers, with Dessers playing until the 85th minute, while Balogun saw out the full match, delivering solid performances at both ends of the pitch.
For Dessers, the match marked his 11th appearance in the competition this season, during which he has scored three goals and provided two assists.
Although he was substituted late in the game, his influence was felt throughout the match.
Balogun, on the other hand, made his sixth appearance in the Europa League, contributing defensively to keep Bilbao at bay.
Rangers faced a challenging start when defender Robin Propper was sent off after just 12 minutes, leaving the team to play the majority of the match with 10 men.
Despite this setback, Rangers managed to hold their ground, with goalkeeper Liam Kelly playing a crucial role in preserving the draw.
Kelly saved a late penalty from Bilbao’s Alex Berenguer, which kept Barry Ferguson’s side level heading into the second leg.
The 0-0 result at Ibrox leaves the tie finely poised, with both teams battling for a place in the semi-finals.
The return leg will take place in Spain on Thursday, April 17, where the winner will face either Lyon or Manchester United, who are also in the hunt for a spot in the final four.
Elsewhere in the competition, Manchester United were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Lyon after an injury-time mistake by goalkeeper Andre Onana allowed Lyon to equalize, following United’s 2-1 lead.
Tottenham Hotspur and Eintracht Frankfurt also played out a 1-1 draw in England.
In an earlier fixture, Norwegian side Bodoe/Glimt defeated Lazio 2-0, further intensifying the race for European glory.
With the second leg of Rangers’ quarter-final looming, both Dessers and Balogun will be hoping to maintain their strong form and help their team advance to the next stage of the competition.
