Rangers vs Braga. UEFA Europa League Knockout Play-offs.
Ibrox StadiumAttendance49,378.
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Joe Aribo is also on target as Rangers head to Portugal with narrow lead
Friday 21 February 2020 08:42, UK
Two goals from Ianis Hagi, scored with father Gheorghe watching on, completed a stunning turnaround to give Rangers a 3-2 win over Braga in a pulsating Europa League first leg at Ibrox.
Rangers went from on the ropes to on cloud nine in the space of 15 second-half minutes, having found themselves second best to their Portuguese visitors for much of the last-32 tie.
They were behind after 11 minutes when Fransergio beat Allan McGregor with an unstoppable rising drive from 25 yards. The hosts had chances to level before the break, but could easily have found themselves further behind.
Their fears were realised 14 minutes after the restart when Abel Ruiz cut across three defenders before leaving McGregor static with a powerful low shot into the bottom corner.
After conceding two away goals, Rangers gave themselves what seemed only a glimmer of hope when Hagi beat Matheus with a fierce drive in off the post. But then substitute Joe Aribo levelled with 15 minutes to go after running through and slotting under the goalkeeper.
Then Hagi took aim from a 25-yard free-kick and found the corner courtesy of a big deflection off Paulinho. It gives Rangers a narrow lead going into the second leg in Portugal on February 26.
Braga were unbeaten under new manager Ruben Amorim - who was not allowed to be in the dugout as he does not have his full quota of coaching badges - and looked every inch a team in form by exuding confidence in their play from the off.
They were willing to play a high line and allow Alfredo Morelos time in behind because of their belief they could catch Rangers high up the pitch. And so it proved.
The opening goal was a wonderful strike but avoidable for the hosts, who gave away the ball cheaply in their own half and were punished. Fransergio, with half a sight of goal from 25 yards, beat McGregor with a powerful effort which cannoned in off the crossbar.
Even before that they should have been ahead when Bruno Viana headed wide from barely four yards out inside 90 seconds, but Rangers would go onto have chances of their own with Morelos denied on the break by a smart Matheus save.
Francisco Trincao also went close for the visitors, who profited from Rangers' wasteful passing, but could not find a deserved and potentially killer second away goal before the break.
It arrived with 14 second-half minutes played after another moment of individual brilliance, from Ruiz, who danced inside three defenders before catching out McGregor with a smart reverse shot.
That goal stung for Steven Gerrard's side as Morelos - who was booked and will miss the second leg - had moments earlier been denied at point-blank range by Matheus. But there was reason to celebrate eight minutes later when Hagi turned inside Silva and fired in off the woodwork.
That new-found hope reverberated around Ibrox and substitute Aribo took it to another level when he wriggled through a number of challenges before slotting calmly beyond Matheus.
With Braga stunned, Hagi's free-kick, which took a significant deflection off Paulinho to leave Matheus stranded, raised the atmosphere even more as Rangers completed one of their greatest European comebacks.
Watch Rangers' Scottish Premiership clash at St Johnstone live on Sky Sports Football from 1pm on Sunday.
