Glasgow Rangers progressed through to the Champions League play-off round with a 1-1 draw in Geneva against Servette on Tuesday night.
Who scored in Servette against Rangers?
The home side took the lead in the 22nd minute as a loose ball on the edge of the box was worked to Dereck Kutesa and he beautifully curled a strike into the top corner of Jack Butland’s net.
They could have been multiple goals ahead if not for the Light Blues number one's brilliance between the sticks as the former Crystal Palace titan stopped two one-on-one opportunities. He made a terrific one-handed stop early on in the game before spreading himself superbly to prevent the ball from squeezing past his near post from the second effort.
Captain James Tavernier eventually found the equaliser shortly after half-time as he rose highest to meet Borna Barisic's cross at the back post to find the back of the net, which made it 3-2 to Michael Beale's side on aggregate.
How did Nicolas Raskin perform against Servette?
Whilst Butland caught the eye with his vital pieces of goalkeeping during the first half, Nicolas Raskin was the real star of the show as his display across both halves was outstanding.
The Belgium U21 international made an impact at both ends of the pitch throughout the match and played a crucial role in Rangers progressing through to the play-off round of the Champions League.
Beale brought the talented engine room machine in from Standard Liege for €2m (£1.7m) in January and he showcased why the English head coach was right to do so as his play on and off the ball oozed class.
As per Sofascore, Raskin completed three of his five attempted dribbles, which was more than any of his teammates managed, and he created one chance, which shows that the Belgian ace was able to drive from midfield to push his team up the pitch to relieve pressure.
There was one moment in particular that stood out during the second half as he appeared third-favourite to come away with the ball under pressure from two Servette defenders after a poor pass from Tavernier and managed to skillfully knick the ball past both of them and won a free-kick in the process.
Defensively, Raskin constantly put pressure on the opposition and put himself about to win possession back for his side on a number of occasions.
As per Sofascore, the 22-year-old dynamo won an impressive 13 duels – five more than any other Gers player – and that resulted in him ending the match with five tackles – more than anyone else – and two interceptions.
With around three minutes to play, Raskin was able to make an excellent recovery to stop a possible break for the home side after a poor clearance from Butland appeared to present them with a chance to counter.
His work rate was sensational all night and that is reflected in his statistics on and off the ball as he popped up in excellent positions all over the pitch to make vital contributions, which played a crucial role in Rangers coming away with the draw and aggregate win.
Therefore, Raskin was the true Champions League hero for Beale's side on Tuesday night as he bailed Butland out towards the end of the clash and made an impact in both halves, whereas the bulk of the shot-stopper's work came within the opening 45 minutes.