Cantwell tells fans to show respect to Rangers ace after what he did v Fenerbahce
Todd Cantwell was quick to react as Rangers overcame Fenerbahce on penalties to advance in the Europa League.
After defeating Fenerbahce 3-1 in their own backyard in the first leg, Rangers lost 2-0 to Jose Mourinho’s side at Ibrox. With the aggregate tied at 3-3 after extra time, the winner was decided via penalties.
Ianis Hagi missed his kick from the spot for the Gers but James Tavernier, Vaclav Cerny and Tom Lawrence scored. For Fenerbahce, Dusan Tadic, Fred and Mert Hakan Yandas failed to convert their spot-kicks, which eventually resulted in the Turkish giants exiting the competition.
While the chances of Rangers catching up to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership are close to nil, Barry Ferguson’s side are looking to go deep in the European competition.
Todd Cantwell praises Rangers’ hero of the night
Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland pulled off two spectacular saves in the penalty shootout to ensure Rangers’ progress to the next round.
The former Stoke City goalkeeper saved Tadic’s penalty and then went on to save Fred’s spot-kick as well. Butland, at times, has invited criticism for his performances this season but the Englishman was right on top of his game at Ibrox on Thursday night.
| Stats | Rangers | Fenerbahce |
| Possession | 40% | 60% |
| Shots | 23 | 21 |
| Shots on target | 9 | 3 |
| Big Chances created | 0 | 2 |
Former Rangers player Cantwell took to Instagram to praise Butland and told the fans to show some respect to the shot-stopper.
Cantwell was at the Glaswegian club for only one full season but has clearly not stopped following his previous club.
Cantwell shared an Instagram story that said: “Give him his respect, he’s absolutely magnificent that’s my [expletive] boy!!!!!!”
Rangers face huge Celtic test
Scotland prepares for the biggest showdown in the Premiership calendar as Celtic take on Rangers at Celtic Park on Sunday.
Although Rangers eliminated Fenerbahce on penalties, they lost 2-0 during the 120 minutes of football and there were several key takeaways for the Gers.
On paper, Celtic are clearly the better operating team this season and the points on the table are a reflection of that.
However, these arch-rivalries are seldom decided only based on quality on paper as emotions play a huge role in these matches.
Rangers are 16 points behind Celtic and a win will cut down the deficit to 13 points. Although Celtic are unlikely to surrender such a huge lead, Rangers will want to inflict misery over their bitter rivals.