Rangers' exceptional performance last night not only made their progress to the third round look certain, but held the promise of a protracted run in Europe for the first time since 1993.
Dick Advocaat's fast-maturing side simply out-manoeuvred the Germans and highlighted a genuinely outstanding night with goals in each half from Giovanni Van Bronckhorst and Jonatan Johansson. The Germans scored in the third minute of injury-time with a close-range shot from the substitute Thomas Reichenberger, but the goal could not take the gloss off a well-earned win.
When Van Bronckhorst gave Rangers the lead a few seconds before half-time, the large and loud visiting support received the goal as a huge, wonderful surprise. But Rangers had already shown they could cope with the threat of the German club.
The goal was beautifully worked, Sergio Porrini's dummy run creating space for Johansson down the inside-right channel. The Finn held the ball until Van Bronckhorst was in position and the pass was perfect. The Dutch midfielder, without breaking stride, was able to slide his low shot to the right of Adam Matysek from 10 yards.
The home team not only failed to take advantage of their frequent surges towards Lionel Charbonnier, but appeared at times to become discouraged.
There was no missing the cooling of their early fire as Rangers' new central defensive partnership, the veteran Colin Hendry and the novice Scott Wilson, stood fast, with Porrini and Tony Vidmar on either side up to the task of preventing serious menace from the flanks.
Rangers' most telling advantage, of course, came with the pre-match news that Ulf Kirsten, Leverkusen's prolific international striker, had failed a fitness test and would not be there to cause bother.
In a repeat of the pattern of the first half, there was no surprise when Rangers scored their second in the 63rd minute. Van Bronckhorst released Rod Wallace down the right with an impeccable pass.
The former Leeds forward waited until Johansson had moved unchallenged towards the six-yard box and delivered a centre from which Johansson pushed the ball home with his right foot.
Bayer Leverkusen: Matysek, R. Kovac, Happe (Reichenberger 76), Reeb, Nowotny, Ze Roberto, Emerson (N. Kovac 58), Meijer, Rink, Beinlich, Ramelow (Heintze 58). Subs Not Used: Vollborn, Zivkovic, Lehnhoff, Mamic. Booked: Reeb. Goals: Reichenberger 90.
Rangers: Charbonnier, Porrini, B. Ferguson, Kanchelskis, Van Bronckhorst, Albertz, Wallace (Durie 86), Johansson (I. Ferguson 79), Wilson, Vidmar, Hendry. Subs Not Used: Niemi, Amato, Petric, Stensaas, Miller. Goals: Van Bronckhorst 45, Johansson 63. Att: 22,000.
Referee: K Bo Larsen (Denmark).
