Rangers’ youngsters were given a glimpse of what could have been when their UEFA Youth League conquerors Sevilla received a Round of 16 glamour tie on Monday.
The Young Gers were outstanding in the early stages of this season’s competition.
They hammered Swedish side Hammarby IF 5-1 on aggregate in the first round of the Domestic Champions Path, before sweeping aside Bulgarian youth champions Septemvri Sofia 7-2 in the second round.
Just one more assignment lay between David McCallum’s side and the knockout stages, a one-leg playoff against a runner-up from a Champions League Path group. Sevilla.
The famous Spanish club tend to be pretty strong at youth level and it was always going to be a big challenge to beat them.
Rangers were in the feisty tie – which took place at Dumbarton last week – the whole way, though, despite a horrendous playing surface making free-flowing football difficult for both sides.
But a scrappy goal from Sevilla’s star man Carlos Alvarez in the 50th minute was enough for the visitors, even though they played the final 13 minutes plus injury time with ten men.
The close nature of the contest will no doubt have made the defeat harder to stomach for the Rangers players and the Round of 16 draw, which took place on Monday, is unlikely to have improved their moods.
Rangers’ Youth League conquerors to meet PSG
Sevilla were drawn against European powerhouses Paris Saint-Germain, who went undefeated through Champions League Path Group A.
A tie against the French giants would have given Rangers’ youngsters a chance to potentially go up against some major emerging players like Xavi Simons, who was linked with a loan move to Ibrox during the winter transfer window [Daily Record].
Instead, it’s a case of focusing on getting as much as they can out of the remainder of the Lowland League season, with a second-place finish still very much possible.
Meanwhile, a 22-year-old looks unlikely to play for Rangers again as he struggles out on loan.
