Rangers upset the odds to earn an impressive top-eight finish in the Europa League after Vaclav Cerny's second-half strike proved decisive against Union Saint-Gilloise.

A direct route to the last 16 seemed very unlikely until deep into the second half at Ibrox given the necessity for results elsewhere to go the Scottish Premiership side's way, but those all fell perfectly into place.

Philippe Clement's team will now face one of Bodo/Glimt, Anderlecht, Twente or Fenerbahce in March depending who progresses from their play-off fixtures.

Rangers - who started the night in 13th place having played four of the eventual top seven - had a straightforward assignment. Win and see how the cards fell.

They did that, despite a number of scares, to earn an incredible outcome.

Clement was forced to field a makeshift defence once again with James Tavernier at centre-back and Leon King at right-back. King's night ended very prematurely after a head knock and Ross McCausland then filled that role.

It was Nicolas Raskin who struck first against his Belgian compatriots. The midfielder timed his run to the back post perfectly to meet Tavernier's excellent delivery and net just inside the far post.

But Union showed plenty of threat and thought they had levelled, but VAR deemed Franjo Ivanovic had strayed marginally offside before finishing past Jack Butland.

Cyriel Dessers was effective again. From a corner just before half-time, he finished with real composure but was judged to be offside in the tightest of calls.

Moments later, Mohammed Fuseini got on the end of a cross for the visitors and somehow put it behind from a yard.

That was a let-off and more would follow as Union pushed for an equaliser.

Ivanovic missed from six yards. Fuissini thought he had scored but Tavernier blocked. Then Ivanovic was off target on the follow-up when it seemed a goal was odds-on.

But Rangers relieved all that pressure on the counter. Dessers bobbed and weaved down the left, and pulled back for Cerny, who netted his 13th of the season.

That seemed to knock the stuffing out of the visitors and Cerny came close again with a shot off a post.

However, in a thrilling finale, Kevin Mac Allister pulled one back with a header that looped over Jack Butland and was awarded after a lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) check.

Substitute Kevin Rodriguez then, off balance, scooped over with the goal gaping and Ross Sykes blazed over deep into stoppage time, but Rangers clung on for their coveted prize.

This has been an incredibly impressive Europa League campaign. A top-eight finish is a fantastic outcome given how foreboding the draw looked and the fans were loving it come full-time.

This was a tough group, no doubt about it.

Progression was secured before kick-off but such were the uncertainties involved, a top-eight finish really seemed beyond them at the start of the night.

That still seemed the case until late on when Nice levelled against Bodo/Glimt and suddenly everything somehow just fell into place.

This was a Union Saint-Gilloise side that seemed capable and intent on getting forward whenever possible. Rangers stood up to that, having rode their luck several times but they were clinical at key moments and that was decisive.

It is something of a conundrum this season that, at this level, Rangers can seem to raise their game yet have struggled away from home in particular domestically.

But no-one at Ibrox was bothered about any of that come the final whistle.

Dessers deserves special mention. He seems to have really stepped up of late and played a key role in what was a memorable night, and achievement.