Nigerian striker Rafiu Durosinmi netted his third goal of the season, but Viktoria Plzen failed to make it count as Cyriel Dessers’ Rangers advanced to the Champions League play-off round on Tuesday night, Bold Sports reports.
The Scottish giants progressed despite suffering a 2-1 defeat in the second leg, sealing a 4-2 aggregate victory over the Czech side.
Rangers, buoyed by a commanding first-leg performance, looked off the pace in the return fixture. Plzen seized the initiative, dominating the opening half before grabbing the breakthrough four minutes before halftime as Amar Memic surged down the right flank and delivered a low cross for Durosinmi to tap in from close range.
Lyall Cameron restored parity for Rangers in the 61st minute, all but ending Plzen’s hopes of a dramatic comeback. Svetozar Markovic struck in the 83rd minute to give the hosts a late lead on the night, but it proved too little, too late.
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The win came with a concern for Rangers boss Russell Martin, who saw key striker Cyriel Dessers hobble off early in the second half with an injury, making way for Danilo.
The result also extended Rangers’ poor run on the road as they have now gone seven away matches without a win in all competitions, their last victory coming against Dundee on March 29.
Nonetheless, the Scottish side are now just one tie away from the Champions League proper. They will face Belgian heavyweights Club Brugge on August 19 and 26, with hopes that Dessers will be fit to feature — potentially setting up an all-Nigerian showdown with Raphael Onyedika.
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