Liam Kelly then claims his first cross of the evening.

That will do him good.

Liam Kelly is getting plenty of early touches as Rangers knock it about the back.

James Tavernier then lifts one forward but Cyriel Dessers is just offside. The keeper got there first anyway.

Ally McCoist
Former Rangers striker on TNT Sports

The home form has been remarkably poor, however their better performances have been on European nights.

Fingers crossed that's what we see tonight.

Dujon Sterling does well to recover after giving the ball to Nico Williams.

You won't get away with many of those.

James Tavernier absolutely smashes Inigo Lekue in the air within seconds.

Welcome to Ibrox.

Dutch referee Serdar Gozubuyuk gets us under way.

Ibrox is bouncing.

Nearly time...

The captains are doing their pre-match duties.

Rangers defender John Souttar, who is suspended for tonight, tells TNT Sports: "These are the nights you want to be involved in, but I'll be ing from the stands.

"It's a massive night for Bailey Rice. It's an enjoyable moment, he's worked hard all season. He's probably wanted to play more games, but to come in tonight is really good for him.

"You've got to the park the domestic results. We've got to change the mindset, get the positivity back and get a good result tonight.

"Everyone says how special this place can be on a European night and we've got to use it tonight."

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland at Ibrox

Speaking with various Rangers fans outside before kick-off, there was a sense of optimism despite domestic form.

That seemed solely based on the idea that Rangers turn up in the Europa League. They might, once again, but ers didn't seem overly convinced.

All connected with Rangers know this is a stiff, stiff test and they hardly come in with confidence, despite the incredible opportunity that lies before them.

One thing that united most was Jack Butland. Many wanted him dropped but didn't think it would happen. It's an almighty call from Barry Ferguson for a game of such importance.

Image source, SNS

Steven Thompson
Former Rangers striker on BBC Radio Scotland

I Barry Ferguson being thrown into the team at a similar age and playing in these European nights.

Maybe he thinks 'I did it' and he'll have had a word in Bailey Rice's ear, ing on his knowledge and experience of it.

I love seeing it, you just hope he doesn't get overrun. This could be the making of him if he has a good evening.

Aged 18 years and 188 days, Bailey Rice is the youngest player to start for Rangers in major European competition since Danny Wilson against Stuttgart in the Champions League in November 2009.

Rangers XI: Kelly, Tavernier, Sterling, Propper, Balogun, Yilmaz, Raskin, Rice, Hagi, Cerny, Dessers.

Substitutes: Butland, McGuire, Barron, Bajrami, Nsiala, Jefte, Igamane, McCausland, Curtis, McCallion, Danilo.

Athletic Bilbao XI: Agirrezabala, De Marcos, Vivian, Alvarez, Lekue, Ruiz de Galaretta, Jaureguizar, I Williams, Sancet, N Williams, Sannadi.

Substitutes: Simon, Gorosabel, Paredes, Vesga, Berenguer, Djalo, Guruzeta, Nunez, Gomez, Prados, Canales, Boiro.

Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams has made 75 dribbles in the Europa League this season, more than any other player. It's the most by a player in a Europa League campaign since Bouna Sarr for Marseille in 2017-18 (92).

Bilbao winger Williams has had a hand in six goals in 10 Europa League games this season (four goals, two assists). However, all of these goal involvements have come at home, failing to score or assist in any of his five away appearances.

Rangers captain James Tavernier tells TNT Sports: "They've [Bilbao] got great individuals in their team, but what I've learned in this competition is it takes a team.

"This competition is down to teams working really hard together, covering for each other.

"It's two legs so we've got to really take advantage of being at home and use the Ibrox crowd."

Image source, SNS

I feel the first leg being at home should suit Rangers.

Most European games that are two-legged affairs, particular in the latter stages of competitions, the first leg is always more cagey. It will probably be accepted a bit more by the Ibrox crowd if Rangers are a bit more solid.

Rangers would bite your hand off to go into that second leg in Bilbao at 0-0. But, make no mistake about it, this will be their toughest European game to date this season.

They are going to face a seriously technical team who are fourth in Spain's top flight. They have a top, top coach like Ernesto Valverde - a two-time La Liga winner as Barcelona boss - and they play with good tempo in their approach.

That is their model and how they play, so expect their set-up behind the ball to be really good if counter-attack opportunities arise for Rangers.

There is no getting away from how big a task this is for Ferguson and his unpredictable players, but that is not to say they cannot hurt them - they can.

Athletic Bilbao have reached the quarter-final stage of a major European competition for the first time since 2015-16, when they were knocked out by Sevilla in the Europa League.

The last time they progressed to the semi-final stage was in 2011-12 under Marcelo Bielsa, beating Schalke 4-2 in the first leg that season.

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

As Jose Mourinho was at pains to point out as he gazed upon the burning ashes of Fenerbahce's shoot-out defeat at Ibrox, Bilbao are big favourites to move into a semi-final against Lyon or Manchester United.

With brothers Nico and Inaki Williams, who have both scored five Europa League goals this season, on the flanks, manager Ernesto Valverde has potency at the top of the pitch in addition to the t-best defence in La Liga at his disposal.

Having overcome Roma in the last 16, former Barcelona boss Valverde is determined to build on last season's cup win with another trophy.

Champions League football next season is also within sight with the club sitting fourth in the Spanish top flight.

Nico's Spain team-mate Oihan Sancet, their top scorer in the league this season, has made a timely return to the fold after a thigh problem. He made a cameo appearance from the bench during their goalless draw at Villareal on Sunday.

That was a second stalemate in succession, but one which prevented their closest challengers for that final La Liga Champions League spot from making up ground.

Rangers may take a degree of optimism from the fact Bilbao are not in red-hot form though. They have won two of their last seven games and scored just once in their last three.

However, this is a step up in class for Barry Ferguson's men and, thanks largely to the Williams brothers, The Lions have rediscovered their roar.

If Bilbao were able to turn some of their 12 La Liga draws into wins, they'd be right in a title race with top three Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

Remarkably, despite 13 points adrift of the summit, fourth-placed Athletic have lost fewer league games than the top two.

Also, no team has conceded fewer La Liga goals.

Ernesto Valverde's side beat Real at home in December and dispatched Roma over two legs to reach the Europa League quarters after winning six of their eight league phase games.

This is a serious team with a serious manager - but Rangers and Ibrox fear no-one in this competition.