Excellent finishes from Nico Raskin and Vaclav Cerny saw Rangers past an Union Saint-Gilloise punished for their lack of composure. With Bodo/ Glimt held by Nice, Philippe Clement’s side took the all important eighth and automatic spot.
After a frenetic opening, Raskin broke the deadlock for the home side. Meeting a sumptuous James Tavernier cross to score just his second goal for the club.
Meet a cut-back from Cyriel Dessers, Cerny doubled the lead with a neat finish as Rangers looked to hold on for the win.
However with minutes to go Kevin Mac Allister pulled one back for the Belgian side with excellent technique to see his header dip over Jack Butland, caught too far off his line to ensure a nervy end to the game.
Cerny came inches from adding Rangers’ third with his thundering effort from distance rattling the post.
Saint-Gilloise will no doubt rue their profligacy, Mohammed Fuseini missing a glaring opportunity after a fine cut-back had put the goal at his mercy.
Finishing from the visitors became increasingly dire in the second half. Having rounded a helpless Jack Butland, Fuseini saw his goalbound shot blocked by James Tavernier before Franjo Ivanovic made a meal of the rebound by dinking the ball over the net.
English defender Ross Sykes could do no better despite finding himself unmarked at the back post of a corner, heading the ball well over the bar.
In the dying moments of the game Kevin Rodriguez hashed what could have a been the equaliser, lack the requisite cold blood in front of goal and instead directing the shot over with Sykes following suit not long after as Rangers breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Looking for a goal of his own, Hamza Igamane raced onto a through ball but could not direct the shot on target.
Both sides were denied goals by the offside flag, Ivanonic first for Saint-Gilloise before Dessers saw his own finish chalked off.
Making his first start in Europe since Giovanni van Bronckhorst governed the touchline, Leon King could have suffered no worse luck than he did when a head knock forced him off after just fourteen minutes.
Line-ups:
Rangers: Butland, Jefte, Propper, Tavernier (c), King (McCausland 14), Raskin, Diomande, Bajrami (Nsio 80), Igamane (Lovelace 80), Cerny (Souttar 63), Dessers Unused subs: Curtis, Hutton, Munn, Kelly, Lawrence, Rice
Booked: McCausland, Igamane, Diomande, Raskin, Propper
Goals: Raskin (20), Cerny (55)
Union Saint-Gilloise: Moris (c), Sykes, Leysen, Mac Allister (Rasmussen 91), Niang, Khalaili, Vanhoutte, Sadiki, Van de Perre (Ait El Hadj 30), Fuseini (Rodriguez 69), Ivanonic Unused subs: Asri, Berradi, Chambaere, Imbrechts
Booked: Leysen
Goals: Mac Allister (83)
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak