Williams sinks Rangers to keep Athletic’s home final hopes alive | OneFootball

Athletic End Rangers’ Brave Europa League Journey with Late Strike

Heartbreak in Bilbao as Rangers Run Ends

There’s something cruelly elegant about hope being extinguished in slow motion. For Rangers, the dream of another stirring European campaign, four seasons after their last brush with continental glory, flickered right until Nico Williams ghosted into the box and sealed their fate.

Athletic Bilbao, relentless and unapologetic in their pursuit of Europa League silverware on home soil, finally broke Rangers’ resistance with an 80th-minute header from Williams, following a glorious cross from Oscar De Marcos. It had been coming.

Barry Ferguson’s side had travelled to the Basque country needing a near-perfect evening. They’d scrapped admirably in the first leg at Ibrox, holding Athletic to a goalless draw despite a numerical advantage for much of the match. But this time, there was no escape, no miracle comeback, just the gradual inevitability of being outplayed by a team with sharper tools and clearer intent.

The first blow landed just before the break. John Souttar, under pressure, clipped Maroan Sannadi in the box. Oihan Sancet made no mistake from the penalty spot. Rangers were up against it from there.

Missed Moments and What Could Have Been

Yet for all of Athletic’s dominance—especially in a first half that resembled a siege—Rangers still had their chances. They may even feel a sense of injustice.

When Nicolas Raskin pounced inside the box early in the second half, his shot was pure, only for Julen Agirrezabala to tip it expertly onto the post. Earlier, Cyriel Dessers had his shirt torn in the box by Dani Vivian. No penalty. No red card. Just a booking for dissent.

Rangers had started the second half brightly. Their passing crisper, their shape more assertive. But injuries to Ridvan Yilmaz and Leon Balogun stripped them of control and options. Ferguson’s attempts to reshuffle the pack felt reactive rather than proactive. They were chasing shadows again by the hour mark.

Bilbao’s Basque Brilliance

Athletic Bilbao do not just play football—they express heritage. This is a club that has refused to bow to modern trends, insisting on selecting only players from the Basque region. That identity lends them a uniqueness, but also an internal pressure: this year, they could win a major European trophy at home, at the fortress of San Mamés.

Under Ernesto Valverde’s cool guidance, they have turned that pressure into purpose. Their press in the first half was as clinical as it was suffocating. Every Rangers touch was harried, every angle closed. Williams’ goal wasn’t a flash of inspiration—it was the result of 80 minutes of attritional superiority.

And with a defensive record unmatched in La Liga this season, they never truly looked in danger, despite those fleeting moments of drama. They kept their poise, even when the tempo dropped and Rangers rallied briefly. Now they march into the semi-finals, their sights set on Manchester United, and perhaps, the rarest of homecomings in a European final.

Future Uncertain as Rangers Reflect

For Rangers, this is not merely the end of a European campaign. It feels like a punctuation mark at the end of a chapter. With the takeover by the San Francisco 49ers group still unresolved, and questions swirling about Ferguson’s long-term role, the club drifts into another uncertain off-season.

This was not a disgrace. Far from it. Rangers matched Athletic for spirit, for grit, for defiance. But not for class. They were out-thought, out-fought, and outlasted over two legs.

As the fans filtered away into the Bilbao night, they’ll remember another bold Europa League run, but also ask themselves: how many of these players will still be here next season? Will this club still have the resource—and the identity—to chase nights like these?

Those are the conversations that matter now.