COMING from behind twice to snatch an unlikely 2-2 draw against Villarreal; it is as if Rangers have never been away. Well, not exactly - that famous night when Alex McLeish’s side drew with a Juan Roman Riquelme and Diego Forlan-inspired outfit at Ibrox en route to an away goals elimination was in the last 16 of the Champions League back in 2006, rather than an opener in the continent’s secondary competition, the Europa League. But there was still plenty to admire about how Steven Gerrard’s side acquitted themselves in the club’s first match in the group stages or beyond of either European competition since a draw with PSV in 2011. Here Herald Sport does its best to make sense of a harum scarum night in the Estadio de la Ceramica.

Rangers have come a long way in a short time

You almost have to remind yourself that the Ibrox side’s last European campaign ended with Pedro Caixinha remonstrating with a group of disenchanted supporters from a bush in Luxembourg. Steven Gerrard has managed to get impressive buy in from a diverse double-figures strong group of new signings. It says it all that the club are returning from a continental group tie against La Liga opposition with a point from a match where they were without the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Jack, Jon Flanagan, Ovie Ejaria and Gareth McAuley. Not least because they had to show huge character when they might have folded after the concession of a heart-breaking goal after just 45 seconds on the night. Unlike the Old Firm match, where Rangers sat deep and appeared petrified to come out, Gerrard deserves kudos for telling his team to get forward and got his reward.

They also rode their luck at times last night and were grateful for Allan McGregor

Having asserted his primacy over Craig Gordon in the running to be Scotland’s No 1, McGregor shows little sign of going off the boil. With Rangers chasing shadows throughout the bulk of that first 45 minutes, quite simply this game would have been done without him. If you were being picky, you could say McGregor was too far off his line when Carlos Bacca steered in that bolt from the blue after just 45 seconds, but he was hardly expecting the ball to cannon off debutant Joe Worrall’s shoulder and drop at the big Colombian’s feet, nor can he have imagined such a superb instant finish. From then on, he was alert and off his line to defy Karl Toko Ekambi and produced a fine low save from the excellent Ramiro Funes-Mori. Even still, better finishing from Ekambi, Bacca and Gerard Moreno and the Ibrox side would have had nothing tangible to show for their efforts.

Group G is wide open now

To state the obvious again – this Villarreal side are not of the same class as that 2006 group. They only sit 14th in La Liga, having just recorded the first win of their league campaign. But getting a draw from this opening match day, a point they would barely have dreamed bargain for beforehand, opens things up for Rangers in Group G. As much class as the likes of Santi Cazorla and others possess, Ibrox can be a formidable weapon for Steven Gerrard’s side.

With two second-half goals giving Rapid Vienna a 2-0 win against Spartak Moscow in the group’s other match – even if Spartak’s Fernando hit the woodwork three times – Group G now has an unpredictable look to it.

Glenn Middleton knows how to make an impact

Some eyebrows have been raised about the sudden promotion of this 18-year-old winger, a Glasgow-born graduate of the Norwich City academy. But, fresh from his first goal for the club against Dundee at the weekend, he was thrown into the action when his team needed him most around the hour mark last night and justified his manager’s faith to the full. While Kent's direct running often sees him naturally come infield, Gerrard has correctly discerned that sometimes the thing that full backs fear most is a winger prepared to stay wide. With his first action after taking to the field, that is precisely what Middleton did, earning a booking against the previously untroubled Miguel Llambrich which gave him something else to think about. With the full back understandably giving him a bit of room next time, he had the space to play Borna Barisic down that side, the Croat’s sweet low centre rolled in by Kyle Lafferty for the second equaliser on the night. He was almost even more of a hero on the night, brave enough to take on a fierce strike as he made progress down the left after some excellent high pressing from James Tavernier, but could only fire into the sidenetting. More cameos like this, and more chances await.

It’s good to have Graham Dorrans back

With Ovie Ejaria and Ryan Jack both left at home due to injury, what better time to welcome back the former Norwich City midfielder, a man who has had a thoroughly miserable time with ankle and knee injuries since getting his dream move to the club last season. While he only got the dying minutes here, there was a snapshot of the quality that he can bring to Rangers’ play as he danced past a couple of Villarreal players and played Scott Arfield in on goal with a sweetly cushioned left foot pass. While the former Burnley man too finished the match strong, a backtracking defender got across to take a bit of sting out of the shot, but Rangers fans will enjoy having Dorrans back in that midfield mix.