Rangers may or may not be on their way to Dublin. Wherever and whenever this Europa League run ends, this will be looked back on as one of the most remarkable nights of the journey.

The euphoria and achievement perhaps went to the heads of some of those that were perched high in the Estadio Benito Villamarín but they were entitled to get ahead of themselves. They do, after all, know well what happens when you dare to dream.

The return to Seville brought the memories of the run to the final last May flooding back. It could yet prove to the first step on the road to glory as Philippe Clement’s side prepare for their crack at the last 16 of a competition that has become their spiritual home in recent seasons.

This was all very 2022. Rangers were decked out in blue, the Europa League anthem reverberated around the famous theatre and John Lundstram pulled the strings in midfield. The sound of his song – proclaiming the silky Scouser as the best on earth – was a throwback to a campaign that saw Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his players come within a penalty of Ibrox immortality.

Victory over Real Betis was achieved in the most unlikely of circumstances. Rangers were written off, perhaps beaten before a ball was kicked by some, but found a way to win. They summoned the spirit of Seville. Just a couple of miles from the scene of their most crushing low, this was a night for Clement’s side to reach new highs.

The first half goals from Abdallah Sima and Cyriel Dessers stunned Betis. The late winner from Kemar Roofe beat them as a side that were touting themselves as potential champions were consigned to the Conference League. There was no pain in Spain this time around.

“It did a little bit, yeah,” Lundstram said when asked if the win over Betis reminded him of the occasions on the road to Seville. “The lads are buzzing in the dressing room. But we have only qualified for the next round so we need to build on it again. Anything can happen in knockout football, as we saw a couple of years ago so let’s just try and build together.”

Those famous nights on the road to the final saw Rangers overcome the odds and take a succession of scalps. The win over Borussia Dortmund could have been the pinnacle but history was made as each round was taken care of.

Ibrox has never seen or heard a night like the victory against RB Leipzig that booked the spot in Seville. Time will tell if Rangers can give their supporters more nerve-shredding, hair-raising experiences like that. What is sure, though, is that this competition brings out the best in them. The reasons for that remain a mystery.

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“I don’t know, mate,” Lundstram said. “It is the history of the club maybe, the resolute of the lads. We have got some strong characters in the dressing room and we just seem to find something in Europe that drives us through. The fans were magnificent.”

This was Clement’s finest hour. The Belgian was bullish when he spoke to the media on Wednesday evening, but perhaps even he couldn’t have foreseen how events would unfold 24 hours later.

A Rangers squad that was decimated through injury and ineligibility, a team that had to be reshaped at the break as Jose Cifuentes was forced off, somehow came through. It owed much to their character, but their quality cannot be overlooked.

Twice Rangers took the lead and twice Betis came back. When the visitors scored for the third time, the Spaniards became desperate and they were soon deflated. The contrasting emotions on the whistle said it all.

“Yeah, it was really good,” Lundstram said. “A really good night for the club. Loved it. I loved every minute of it. I thought the lads were really good first half, we held our own against a top team. We were under a little bit of pressure second half, which we coped with. We said at half time to stay calm under pressure because they would have a bit of the ball. We did that and then we took our chance when we needed to. I thought every single one of the lads out there really, really dug deep and deserved it.

“I imagine it was a really good spectacle for the neutral. Disappointed to concede a couple but they have got some top players on the pitch who can hurt you at times. And as have we and we hurt them. It was a little bit end to end at times because both teams were going for the win. We didn’t come here to sit back and try and get a goal on the break. We came to really put them under pressure when we could and go for the win and thankfully we got it.”

This was no smash and grab win for Rangers. The performance was accomplished, the result was merited. Technically and tactically, Clement and his players got it spot on.

Now Rangers have domestic matters to attend to once again. They returned from Seville 18 months ago with the chance to bounce back with a Scottish Cup win. Now they have chance to kick on and lift their first silverware of the season.

The League Cup final with Aberdeen was always, regardless of how Thursday night unfolded, going to be the priority fixture for Clement and a squad that simply must put a trophy in the cabinet this term. Clement has had a transformative impact at Ibrox so far but the progress has to be backed up. Lundstram knows that as well as anyone.

“Loads of credit to the lads and massive credit to the manager as well,” Lundstram said. “He has been great, he has really galvanised the squad and thankfully we are repaying him with results. Just enjoying it at the minute and hopefully we can keep it going.

“It is a massive game again [on Sunday] and they come thick and fast. We don’t quite have time to breathe but we are looking forward to it. We can’t wait to get going again.

“It is what this club is built on. We are all looking forward to it and we are going into the game to win it. There is no alternative.

“We have got to get over the line first, of course, and we just have to do our best and give ourselves a platform to build on.”