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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 its way to avoid the play-offs, and Nice did it 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 in-swinging cross from the left was nodded back across goal and in by Raskin.

Union SG thought it 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.