Rangers compared to rugby Warriors as Portuguese press react to win over Braga

Rangers' domination at Ibrox on Thursday night was the focus of the Portuguese media as they dissected the 3-1 defeat for nine-man Braga in the Europa League quarter-final second leg.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men made it through to the semi-finals after overturning a first leg deficit to secure a 3-2 aggregate win thanks to Kemar Roofe’s extra-time winner and James Tavernier’s first-half double.

Expresso described the pace of Rangers attacks as "unbearable for Braga", and made reference to city neighbours Glasgow Warriors as they compared the power of the home side to the rugby club who play along the road in nearby Scotstoun.

They wrote: "The Scots pushed the Minho to their own area for almost the entire 120 minutes that the match lasted and in which Carlos Carvalhal's team never played as usual.

Rangers' James Tavernier celebrates the win over Braga at full time. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

"Glasgow is not a desert in the easy art of nicknamed those who play for a club, there is already an association that stamps any type who wears their shirt as a warrior, but, by default, it's always muscular guys, with inflated bodies and uppers. To go to shock, because what the Warriors play is rugby. They live with an oval ball, on fields where there are no goals and for rules that don't even let them pass the playing utensil to the front."

Correio da Manhã said "the pressure from the Scots was asphyxiating" while Público's match report had the headline "Rangers stole the ball and the dream from Braga" in reference to the Ibrox side's dominance of possession.

They added: "More than the support of the public, it was the intensity and the predisposition to control the game with the ball that pushed the Scots towards a quality performance. In 4-2-3-1 and with the defenders fearlessly assuming the leading role (Bassey was decisive in the exit of the ball and the sides, Tavernier and Barisic, unbalanced to the right and to the left), Rangers rehearsed a combinative and effective football."

They also singled out the performance of Joe Aribo, adding: "The English midfielder, capped by Nigeria, was one of the Scots' dynamos and the most discerning player in midfield – physically strong, able to protect the ball and with a short dribble, he was the reference Rangers were looking to build in support."

James Tavernier was also lavished with praise. "Barisic also showed quality on the left, but the Rangers right-back was decisive," the report continued. "Strong in width and in crosses, he added two goals to a good performance.

"The plumb line from the Rangers game. Discerning with the ball, refined, he almost always made the best decisions and brought the team closer to the goal."

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