It seems like a lifetime ago, but the last thing that Barry Ferguson and Rangers will want is for a dodgy refereeing decision to decide their Europa League last 16 tie with Fenerbahce like it did their woefully short Champions League campaign.
Jefte was sent off in a bizarre incident that shouldn’t even have been a free-kick with the current Rangers manager hoping that his players avoid such controversy against a team that will be well trained in the dark arts.
Ferguson outthought Jose Mourinho in the first leg, however, he isn’t called The Special One for nothing and a packed Ibrox will need to play their part to inspire their team to victory.
At this stage of the competition, UEFA hands the big games to their most trusted officials and the man in charge has featured in some big games already.
Norwegian whistler Espen Eskas has been appointed with a statistic that doesn’t look great for Rangers.
Omens don’t look good as Rangers vs Fenerbahce referee named
In his last eight fixtures at international and continental level between the Europa League and Champions League, Eskas has given two penalties and dished out two red cards.
On each occasion, these decisions have gone against the home team.
It gets worse.
In these games, the home side as failed to win on every occasion.
Feyenoord, Juventus, AC Milan, Sporting Lisbon and Italy have all been victim of the Eskas curse that has seen the away teams triumph or return home with a draw.
For the last three games, all this season in the Champions League, the away teams have won 2-0, 3-0 and 3-0.
All scorelines that would see Fenerbahce either progress or take the tie into extra-time.
Surely, on the law of averages, Rangers are due to break the hex?
What Rangers players are at risk of suspension?
There are six Rangers players at risk of missing the next game in the Europa League if progress is made.
Five started the first leg and Hamza Igamane came off the bench.
All of the players at risk are currently on two bookings who, if they get a third, will miss the first leg of the quarter-finals.
Mohamed Diomande is on four, which means that he only needs one more too having already missed the trip to Old Trafford to face Man Utd through a three-booking suspension.
| Player | Bookings |
| Connor Barron | 2 |
| Hamza Igamane | 2 |
| Jefte | 2 |
| John Souttar | 2 |
| Nicolas Raskin | 2 |
| Mohamed Diomande | 4 |
Ask explained by UEFA article 63.04, making it to the end of the quarter-finals without a suspension wipes the slate clean:
“Exceptionally, all yellow cards and pending yellow-card suspensions expire on completion of the play-offs.
“They are not carried forward to the league phase. In addition, all yellow cards expire on completion of the quarter-finals. They are not carried forward to the semi-finals.”
The latter stages of the Europa League is hard enough and Ferguson will be thankful for a full Rangers squad against Fenerbahce.
Hopefully, he can finish the job, but without too much harm done.
