STEVEN GERRARD wanted his players to take his message to the Ibrox crowd. Rangers may not have had a victory to cheer, but they did their talking on the park with their performance.

A fifth win in six matches eluded Gerrard’s side but a 1-1 draw with Osijek proved enough on the night as the Gers booked their place in the Europa League third qualifying round.

Osijek provided a far sterner test than Shkupi over these two legs, and Maribor will be another step up for Gerrard’s side over the next fortnight.

Progression through the rounds must come in tandem with an improvement in terms of their showings. On an encouraging night at Ibrox, Gerrard got what he had been looking for.

Every word that Gerrard has uttered has been taken to heart by the Light Blue legions as they have heralded the Liverpool and England legend in his first few weeks as manager.

It is what his side do, and not what he says, that will matter most this term, however, and results will ultimately speak for themselves.

Two ties have now been dealt with and the opening weeks of the Premiership campaign give Rangers a chance to make a statement of intent. It is a challenge they can look forward to having built up some momentum this summer.

The back five of Allan McGregor, James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Katic and Jon Flanagan picks itself at present. In front of them, Gerrard asked Ryan Jack and Lassana Coulibaly to patrol the middle of the park, while Daniel Candeias, in for Jamie Murphy, Ovie Ejaria and Ryan Kent provided support for Alfredo Morelos.

The neat first half header that Morelos scored seven days previously gave Rangers the edge in the tie but Osijek had shown enough at the Stadion Gradski to ensure nobody on or off the park could take anything for granted here.

Zoran Zekic’s side made the trip to Glasgow knowing that they would have to score twice if they were to progress without the need for penalties and it was the visitors that needed to get the first goal of the night. It was Rangers that looked more threatening early on, though.

Coulibaly should have given Gerrard’s side a dream start after just three minutes but he couldn’t convert a Kent corner as he fired over from six yards.

With the Ibrox crowd behind them, there was no way that Gerrard could have sent the Light Blues out to protect what they had. Their focus was on doubling their advantage, not just holding on to it.

Keeper Marko Malenica made two saves in quick succession to deny Morelos and Candeias after a lovely pass from Jack had sent the Colombian free down the right.

Every attacking phase from Rangers brought the home fans to their feet, while every block and tackle earned a roar of approval. The tempo on the park was high, and so were the energy levels around Ibrox.

Malenica had to make further stops from Jack and Morelos again as he dealt well with rifled low shots that skimmed along the slick surface.

Morelos was bustling and lively up front, while Candeias was industrious on the right. Rangers needed more from Kent on the opposite flank, though, and Ejaria in the middle. He saw plenty of the ball, but too often his passes or flicks brought an end to an attack rather than continuing it.

Rangers had their fair share of the chances but Osijek caused problems of their own. They may only have finished fourth in the Croatian top tier last term, but they moved the ball well and looked dangerous when they got into their rhythm going forward.

Rangers had Allan McGregor to thank for a terrific block from a Robert Mudrazija effort, while Ezekiel Henty brought out another top stop from the Ibrox keeper. The follow-up from Petar Bockaj, saved low at his front post, was the final chance of the half for the visitors.

The string of saves McGregor made during the first leg ensured Rangers had returned from Croatia with a clean sheet to their credit. His influence second time out couldn’t be underestimated.

It was so far so good for Gerrard and with a quarter of the tie remaining Rangers were more than on course to book their place in the next stage.

Jack was the star man in the middle of the park for the Gers, while Goldson and Katic had stood up to the Osijek attack once again. There was still plenty of work to be done, though.

Within minutes of the restart, the toughest bit was completed as Gerrard’s side broke Osijek’s resistance and opened the scoring.

Kent was denied by a last-gasp tackle from Alen Grgic after Morelos had slipped in Coulibaly and the midfielder fired a teasing cross low to the back post.

The Croatians couldn’t hold out much longer, however. Morelos was again involved as he kept a Tavernier free-kick alive and Katic got the decisive touch as he rose to flick the ball into the net.

As Rangers celebrated, Zekic tried to regroup his players. The scoreboard and the clock were against Osijek now, though, as Rangers went in search of the goal that would put the tie beyond any doubt.

A deflected effort from Morelos almost caught out Malenica before the striker fired another strike into the side-netting from a tight angle. His efforts weren’t rewarded, but they were appreciated by the Ibrox crowd.

The same can be said of Candeias. He was given a rousing reception when he was replaced by Josh Windass just seconds after Tavernier had seen a strike from distance whistle by the far post.

The closing stages were far more anxious than they ought to have been after Borna Barisic beat McGregor with a well-struck effort. The four added minutes did little to ease the nerves around Ibrox.

The final whistle was greeted with a cheer of celebration and a sigh of relief. The game may not have been won, but another hurdle had been overcome.