Ryan Kent's winner secured a place in the Europa League round of 16 for Steven Gerrard's Scottish Premiership giants.
Rangers produced a superb defensive display to knock Braga out of the Europa League on Wednesday and home coach Micael Sequeira was gracious in defeat, hailing Steven Gerrard’s brilliant back line and an inspired tactical shift, in quotes reported by Futebol 365.
Six days after a Primeira Liga outfit ripped the Gers apart time and again at Ibrox, racing into a two-goal lead inside an hour of the first 90 minutes, the Glasgow giants could hardly have defended any better in the return leg.
Ryan Kent scored the only goal in Braga with Connor Goldson, George Edmondson, Ryan Kent and co throwing their bodies on the line time and time again to secure a 4-2 aggregate victory.
A progressive Portuguese outfit dominated two-thirds of the possession on home soil but, try as they might, simply couldn’t find a way through a Rangers team which protected the lead as if their life was dependent on it.
"As the game went on, Rangers felt more comfortable. They presented a low block and did not give us the space. We had more than 60% possession, but we lacked such spaces in the last third to create opportunities that could have changed the history of the game,” said Braga’s assistant coach Sequeira.
“Rangers had merit in the way they defended.
“There was merit at Rangers in the way they closed the interior spaces. The pass lines were always closed. They only gave us outside space (on the wings).”
Sequeira believes the big difference between the Gers’ first and second-leg performances revolved around the positioning of their defensive line. While they were pushed high up the pitch at Ibrox, giving Braga acres of space in behind for the visitors to exploit, Gerrard’s charges spend much of Wednesday night camped on the edge of their own penalty area.
And the chance in tactic could hardly have worked any better.
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