Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Rangers manager Russell Martin speaks to his players as they take a water break in the hot conditions.Alamy Stock Photo FreeProgress Rangers see off wasteful Panathinaikos to progress in Champions League Djeidi Gassama turned super-sub once again with a crucial goal. 9.28pm, 30 Jul 2025 Share options DJEIDI GASSAMA turned super-sub once again with a crucial goal as Rangers beat profligate Panathinaikos 3-1 on aggregate in their Champions League second qualifier in Athens. Leading 2-0 from the first leg at Ibrox, only another fine performance in the Olympic stadium from Gers keeper Jack Butland, who thwarted the Greek side in Govan, kept the tie goalless at the break. Filip Djuricic opened the scoring with a header in the 53rd minute, but moments after climbing off the bench, Gassama, who scored after coming off the bench on his debut last week, levelled at 1-1 with a stunning drive. A remarkable start to the 21-year-old’s Rangers career took the heat out of the home side’s fightback, although Russell Martin should not be fooled; his side rode their luck for the second time against Panathinaikos, who will rue a series of missed opportunities over the two games. In what was Martin’s first away game as Rangers boss and only his second in Europe as a manager, he kept the same side which started last week at Ibrox. Advertisement Rui Vitoria’s side were without suspended right-back Georgios Vagiannidis, sent off in Glasgow for picking up two yellow cards, and his place was taken by Giannis Kotsiras. The home side bossed and battered Rangers in the first half, starting in the fifth minute when midfielder Anastasios Bakasetas drove just wide from the edge of the box following another corner. In the 14th minute, Gers’ dithering defender Max Aarons was robbed by former Manchester United man Facundo Pellistri, which left the attacker one-on-one with Butland and the Gers keeper brilliantly blocked the shot. Butland then made another terrific save from a close-range header by captain Fotis Ioannidis, who had beaten defender John Souttar to a great cross from Pellistri. Panathinaikos defender Erik Palmer-Brown headed a Bakasetas free-kick over the bar from six yards before the unmarked Pellistri missed a sitter in the 28th minute, blasting high over from 12 yards after Gers skipper James Tavernier had conceded possession inside the box. Rangers’ two real efforts came in rare attacks, attacker Findlay Curtis missing the target and midfielder Nico Raskin heading over, both from corners. Waves of Panathinaikos pressure continued after the break, but when Duricic wrong-footed Butland with a header from a Bakasetas cross, the flag went up for offside. However, after a long VAR check, Italian referee Simone Sozza awarded the goal, but more drama quickly ensued. Moments later, Gassama, the former Sheffield Wednesday forward who replaced Curtis after the goal, fired in off the post from 14 yards in a rare Rangers attack to restore the Light Blues’ two-goal lead. Gers substitute Cyriel Dessers missed a great chance in added time when he failed to beat keeper Bartlomiej Dragowski following a counter-attack, but it mattered not. Rangers moved into the next qualifying round and guaranteed themselves European league phase football of some sort this season. Press Association Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Rangers see off wasteful Panathinaikos to progress in Champions League”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Rangers see off wasteful Panathinaikos to progress in Champions League”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion DJEIDI GASSAMA Jack Butland Panathinaikos News in 60 seconds FreeConvincing Athlone earn comfortable win in historic Champions League tie FreeExclusive Former Ireland boss Eileen Gleeson set for new FAI role 'Tadhg was like, 'How many times have we been sitting on this bench?'' Man United target €81 million-rated RB Leipzig star FreeChampions League Shelbourne to face Croatian champions Rijeka in Europa League qualifiers trailblazer Le Court makes history for Africa at Tour de France Ireland 'quite confident' Aoife Wafer will be fit for World Cup action 'Be ready to win by will' - Lions reveal Katie Taylor's powerful speech to squad before second Test scoreboard error 'I don't know how they can't stop play' - Kilkenny GAA chairman on scoreboard mistake McCarthy set to return for Lions as Hansen pushes for inclusion 'Tadhg was like, 'How many times have we been sitting on this bench?'' more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine TG4 Entertainment Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account