Kyle Lafferty’s first European goal for the club couldn’t have come at a better time. Villarreal scored after just 45 SECONDS to take an early lead.
Scott Arfield made it 1-1 midway through the second half before the La Liga outfit went ahead a second time through sub Gerard Moreno.
Steven Gerrard’s Rangers, though, refused to be beaten as Lafferty netted for a point. Rangers supporters travelled here more in hope than expectation.
It was only the diehards among them who pointed to Villarreal’s patchy, unimpressive form domestically so far this season.
That they had only won their first La Liga game at the weekend and sit in 14th spot in the table.
That their manager, Javier Calleja, saw fit to make NINE changes to his regular line-up last night.
But let’s get it right, Villarreal have been European mainstays down the years for good reason. In this competition, they have reached the semis three times.
Gerrard, though, was one of the optimists. In the build-up, he talked confidently about his side’s chances in their Group G opener. How they weren’t here to make up the numbers. You had to admire his belief.
The fact that commanding centre-half Nikola Katic wasn’t in the line-up was a surprise, the big defender looking jaded in training, according to his manager.
It meant Joe Worrall started his first competitive game since February, when he played for Nottingham Forest against Hull.
You couldn’t help think handing him his Rangers debut here was asking too much of the 21-year-old.
But it was the guy playing alongside him, Connor Goldson, who looked none-too-clever as the Spanish side took the lead inside a minute.
What a disastrous start it was for Rangers. And what a cheap and easy goal it was they gave away so early on. Goldson got sucked out of position as he tried to go and win a ball back from striker Carlos Bacca.
When the ball dropped off Worrall, the hitman smashed a sensational shot over Allan McGregor’s head and right into the net.
The rest of the first half was littered with moments of slackness from Rangers. The number of times they needlessly knocked the ball out of play was frightening.
Possession was wasted far too easily. Daniel Candeias jogged up and down the right-hand touchline as though sprinting was outlawed in this part of the world.
The Rangers punters in the top tier put more effort into getting to their seats.
Truth be told, Villarreal were being made to look far better than they probably are. As promised by Gerrard on Wednesday, set-pieces were a big part of the strategy to get something from the game.
But the corners and free-kicks played into the box in the first 45 minutes weren’t anywhere near good enough.
Lafferty did have a half-chance after a fine cross from Andy Halliday into the box.
The big targetman made a good near-post run and darted across his marker to get to the ball first, but his header was deflected wide.
The home side had a couple of near things themselves before the break.
There was a penalty shout when Borna Barisic blocked a header which came back across goal, but the ref rightly spotted he’d used his body and not his arm. McGregor then had to be pretty lively to keep out a blasted shot from Santi Cazorla.
It was a save the current Scotland No1 would expect to make, but Gers fans were still relieved to see him make it.
Gerrard would have demanded better from his side when he got them into the changing room at the half-time interval.
Just four minutes after the restart, though, Rangers got lucky.
McGregor raced from his box to clear after Karl Toko Ekambi was put through, with the ball breaking kindly for scorer Bacca.
With the goal empty he simply had to roll his shot on target, but pulled it wide.
The lanky big attacker had another half-chance seconds later but blasted high over the crossbar in a second let-off.
The longer it went with only one goal in it, the more anxious Villarreal fans became.
They would have got a second goal after 61 minutes had it not been for the brilliance of McGregor.
Ramiro Funes Mori connected perfectly with a volley on the edge of the box after a headed clearance from Barisic, but the keeper dived low to his right to claw it away.
Cool McGregor had to be alert again soon after to make a vital clearance with his feet — and seconds later Rangers were level.
Skipper James Tavernier burst forward and looked to have been brought down inside the box for a penalty.
But the ref allowed the advantage, with Candeias cutting back for Arfield to score with a cool finish.
The midfielder celebrated by saluting the away fans high up in the stands.
But within two minutes Villarreal silenced them.
A sweeping attack from middle to front — including a sensational ball from Cazorla — found Moreno, who darted inside before smashing home with his left foot.
It looked like this was going to be a night of pain in Spain. But after 74 minutes Lafferty made it 2-2.
Barisic got down the left and whipped in a perfect low cross for the striker, who finished in style.
It could have gone either way in the closing stages, both sides having chances to win the game with Arfield unable to take a stoppage-time opportunity.
But the draw was more than enough to send the Gers punters on to the Spanish bars for a beer or ten.
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