Fenerbahçe out of Europa League on penalties

GLASGOW

Jack Butland was the hero as Rangers held its nerve in a penalty shoot-out to dump Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahçe out of the Europa League and reach the quarterfinals on March 13 night.

The Turkish visitors stunned Ibrox by fighting back from a 3-1 first-leg defeat in Istanbul to win 2-0 on the night and force penalties in the last 16 tie.

Butland saved two spot-kicks though as Mourinho, who was left fuming after an extra time penalty decision went against his side, narrowly failed to mastermind a comeback.

"We did everything to win. The ref and the VAR decided that we should go to penalties," Mourinho told TNT Sports.

"In the first match I was honest and I had enough to say we made mistakes, we deserved to lose but in this match I also have to be honest and say we were the best team by far."

Rangers, two-time runner-up in the competition, will face Athletic Bilbao in the last eight after winning 3-2 on penalties.

The Glasgow giant is bidding to salvage its season in Europe after a miserable Scottish Premiership campaign, with former midfielder Barry Ferguson now in interim charge following the sacking of Philippe Clement.

"We fully believed we were going to get the job done. The boys dug deep and this is the reward you get, it's what the fans deserve," Butland said.

"We could have been more clinical but, boy, we deserved this."

Rangers started well but could not increase their overall lead and fell behind on the night when Sebastian Szymanski brilliantly hooked a volley into the net on the stroke of half-time.

Szymanski leveled the contest on aggregate with 17 minutes remaining by poking the ball past Butland as the match headed into extra time.

Both teams went close to a winner as the game became increasingly stretched, with Fenerbahce goalkeeper Irfan Can Eğribayat making a fine save from a James Tavernier free kick.

Mourinho was booked for his protestations, animatedly making the VAR sign on the touchline, after Mert Hakan Yandaş was clipped by Nicolas Raskin in the area but no penalty was given.