Rangers secured automatic qualification for the last 16 of the Europa League with a 2-1 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise at a buoyant Ibrox Stadium, with Nico Raskin and Vaclav Cerny scoring.

Philippe Clement's side needed to win and hope other results went their way to avoid the play-offs, and Nice did them the favour they craved by drawing 1-1 with Bodo/Glimt.

Rangers' 20th-minute opener was all about a superb delivery from James Tavernier, whose inswinging cross from the left was nodded back across goal and in by Raskin.

Union SG thought they had equalised through Franjo Ivanovic on the half-hour mark, but a VAR review found he was offside when the ball fell fortuitously into his path six yards out.

Rangers got another reprieve when Tavernier got back to block Mohammed Fuseini's finish in front of a gaping goal early in the second half, and they made it count when Cerny powered home from Cyriel Dessers's cutback after 54 minutes.

Cerny then rattled the post from 25 yards out, before a fine Kevin Mac Allister header dragged Union SG back within one with seven minutes to play.

However, the Gers held on through five nervous minutes of second-half stoppage time to make the top eight.

Data Debrief: Gers get over the line at fortress Ibrox

Rangers have progressed from the group stage of a major European competition for the fifth time in the last six attempts, reaching the final of the Europa League in 2021-22 but failing at the group stage in the Champions League in 2022-23.

Clement's side have now lost just two of their last 14 Europa League games on home soil, winning nine and drawing three.

Tavernier's sublime cross for Raskin's opener means he has assisted in each of his last three Europa League appearances for Rangers, as many as he had in his previous 35 games. It was his eighth assist in the competition for the Gers, the joint most along with Borna Barisic.

Having finished above the likes of Ajax, Real Sociedad, Roma and Porto, Rangers will return to Europa League action for the last 16 in March, when their possible opponents are Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce, Bodo/Glimt, Twente or Anderlecht.