It was pain in Porto for Rangers despite a bright start as the Portuguese side charged into the top eight
22:13, 29 Jan 2026Updated 23:00, 29 Jan 2026
Porto v Rangers – Europa League action
Portugal’s Atlantic coast has been the wettest place on earth this week with torrential rain and 130mph winds battering the nation.
And for Rangers, there was one more Europa League storm to endure before they could put this whole sorry affair to bed for the campaign.
Danny Rohl’s title-chasers might be looking at a brighter forecast domestically but continental action has been a major damp squib for Gers.
They hoped conditions had improved here when Djeidi Gassama headed home early. But the deluge of chances Rangers have continually gifted opponents this term poured down again as a first-half blizzard of goals eased Porto into the last 16 with a 3-1 win – and crushed Gers’ eight-game unbeaten streak.
The Light Blues now finish the league phase red faced down in 32nd position having taken just four points from a possible 24.
Rangers’ goalkeeper Jack Butland reacts after Porto’s Rodrigo Mora scores(Image: AP)
As grim as it’s been, Rohl wanted his team to go out with a bang.
He set Rangers up to be brave with their press and it paid off just six minutes in.
James Tavernier intercepted Jakub Kiwior’s ball out from defence before Findlay Curtis spun wide and delivered a deep cross for Gassama to plant a header down past Diogo Costa.
But Porto needed a win to finish in the top eight and responded with three clinical strikes before the break.
Dragons wonderkid Francisco Mora gave Nico Raskin the slip on half way before darting into the box to finish off after William Gomes’ ball broke off Jayden Meghoma.
Francisco Moura then put Porto ahead after a mix up between James Tavernier and Jack Butland, with bad going to worse when Manny Fernandez then headed into his own net from Gomes’ corner just before the break.
Over and rout
Gers arrived in Porto knowing all they had left to play for was pride.
A continental campaign that started with wins over Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzen soon went off the rails on that night of Champions League shame in Brugge.
Things didn’t get much better in the Europa as a string of mortifying results left Gers out of the qualification race with two games to go.
The last thing Rohl needed as he looked to draw a line under this depressing Euro run was to come up against one of the tournament favourites.
Porto came into the game having won 25 of their 30 games so far, suffering just two defeats.
It was Gers, though, who came roaring out the traps looking like they had something to prove.
But Gassama’s opener only sparked the sleeping Dragons into life and they ruthlessly roared to victory, with the only consolation that Gers suffered no more damage after the break.
Ton-up Tav hits another milestone
Just four days after chalking up his 100th league goal for Rangers, James Tavernier wrote his name into the Ibrox history books again with another milestone achievement.
His 109th European run-out drew the skipper level with Light Blues legend Allan McGregor, who held the record for Gers’ appearances in UEFA competition.
But the question that now hangs over the 34-year-old is will he be here next year to go one more and claim the honour outright for himself.
The captain has been in and out of the starting XI this year and there’s no doubt Rohl is now having to manage the minutes in his veteran legs.
But with his contract up in the summer, it remains to be seen if his 11-year stay in Govan will continue on into next season.
Moments like his part in the shambolic second Rangers conceded might make up the manager’s mind.
All Tav had to do was head the ball back to his header but instead he ended up colliding with Butland – allowing Mora to tap into an unguarded net.
Gers seek a Sunday soother
With a huge Premiership clash away to Hibs to come this weekend, Rohl had a pre-match dilemma.
Rest his star men by throwing in the kids, he might risk a hammering from a team packed with explosive firepower – or go with his top performers knowing that any injuries could potentially derail Rangers’ resurgence at Easter Road.
In the end, the German tended towards the latter with key figures like Manny Fernandez, Nico Raskin and Youssef Chermiti all starting.
But even they couldn’t restrain the hosts’ clear quality.
John Souttar was on at half time for Meghoma, while Rohl then made sure he got Gassama, Fernandes and Chermiti off long before the end to begin the recovery process ahead of their Leith trip.
As sore as the hangover from this result will be, Rohl will take it if his side can grab a soother in the capital.
Keep Curtis?
It was assumed that 19 year-old Curtis was being chucked in for a farewell appearance before joining Kilmarnock on loan.
But another mature display from the Ibrox youngster might make Rohl think again about sending the Scotland Under-21 forward to Rugby Park for the rest of the season.
Rangers’ Youssef Chermiti (R) and Findlay Curtis (L) looks dejected after Emmanuel Fernandez scores an own goal to make it 3-1 vs Porto(Image: SNS Group)
Gers certainly need to find a way to get him more minutes if they’re to avoid him stagnating like fellow academy prospect Bailey Rice.
But the way he coolly picked out Gassama for the opener was evidence the kid can handle the step up to top-team action.
Fernandez focus slips
Fernandez is attracting admiring glances from German giants Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen.
But the giant Gers defender won’t want to see back the blunder that handed Porto their third.
The big 6ft 4ins stopper had just survived a nonsense VAR check for a superb crunching challenge on Brazilian winger Pepe.
But he got himself into a total mess while marking Porto skipper Jan Bednarek as a corner came in – and ended up nodding the ball past a stunned Butland.
Fernandes has come on leaps and bounds under Rohl but his ability to maintain focus is something he needs to work on if he wants to continue attracting admiring looks.