Ojo's stunning first-half strike gave Rangers a vital victory
Rangers paid the perfect tribute to late captain Fernando Ricksen by edging Feyenoord in a rousing Europa League win at an emotional Ibrox.
Sheyi Ojo's first-half thunderbolt secured three points after James Tavernier missed an early penalty.
There was a minute's silence pre-match and applause in the second minute in tribute to Ricksen, who died on Wednesday after losing his battle with motor neurone disease.
Rangers go level with Porto in Group G.
The Portuguese side beat Young Boys 2-1 at home, with Steven Gerrard's side travelling to Switzerland in their next match.
Feyenoord, meanwhile, will host Porto next, having grown into the game at Ibrox late on but failing to land a decisive blow as Allan McGregor made several good saves to keep them out.
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Reaction & as it happened
Who was your man of the match?
Rangers harness emotion to press Feyenoord
So often professional sport is about blocking out emotion. It's about maintaining control, concentration, and a clear mind to carry out the game plan. With the death of Ricksen at the age of just 43 on Wednesday after a heart-breaking six-year fight with motor-neurone disease, there was no escaping emotion at Ibrox.
The sea of scarves outside the ground, the touching tributes from former team-mates, the minute's silence and banner before kick-off, the applause during the second minute which spread from the stands to the players on the pitch, it was emotional. Gerrard urged his players to tap into that raw sentiment and, after a shaky start, they duly obliged.
There was an intensity to Rangers as they pressed Feyenoord into giving the ball away and crisply set about constructing their own attacks. Ojo's thumping strike was a thing of beauty, but it was the build-up that was perhaps more telling of Rangers' performance.
The impressive Steven Davis burst a lung to close down Orkun Kocku, whose heavy touch in-field left the ball up for grabs. Glen Kamara beat his man to the ball, then Borna Barisic also snapped into a challenge and it broke to Ojo who smashed home to send the stadium into bedlam, and consign Tavernier's earlier penalty miss, awarded for a handball, to a distant memory.
Rangers weren't nearly done either. Scott Arfield cracked the bar, the bustling Morelos had two tries at beating Kenneth Vermeer in the visitors' goal and then claimed for a penalty as he went for a third effort. Replays though, showed Edgar Ié got a touch on the ball. Goldson also had a couple of headers just over, then Ojo thought he'd doubled his tally only for his shot to be desperately cleared off the line.
Feyenoord were rattled, the half-time whistle a mercy.
Fans paid tribute to the late Fernando Ricksen, who died on Wednesday.
The Dutch champions of 2017 almost stole an equaliser straight after the break as the ball ricocheted off Goldson from Eric Botteghin's diving header and spun just wide, but largely their distribution from the back was hapless for the most part because of Rangers' intense closing down.
But when Feyenoord did manage to play through the press, they showed glimpses which suggested Rangers might need a second, for example when McGregor had to get down smartly to push Dutch international Steven Berghuis' shot wide.
Ojo should have got the second as he headed over from point-blank range and Ryan Jack, Davis, Arfield and Morelos all had chances to put the game to bed. With each miss, Feyenoord grew in confidence and themselves had opportunities, the Ibrox crowd growing frustrated at the inability of their team to keep the ball.
Ultimately, it didn't matter. McGregor denied Luciano Narsingh and Jens Toornstra superbly to ensure a winning start for his team.
It was emotional, the old stadium rocking by the end. But in the cold hard analysis, a home win provides the perfect start in the quest for the knockout stages.
Man of the match - Scott Arfield
The wide midfielder helped lead Rangers' press which caused Feyenoord all sorts of issues. He, Davis, Morelos and Ojo all played their part in hounding the opposition and his energy epitomised their intensity.
The Canada international's clever movement inside the full-backs and his link play were also vital, and he was unlucky not to score as he drifted into space to hit a shot which came crashing back off the cross-bar. Substituted with two minutes to go, he could barely run by the end which summed up his commitment.
Fortress Ibrox - the stats
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Rangers haven't lost any of their last 14 home games across all European competitions (W10 D4, including qualifiers), winning each of the last five in a row.
Rangers picked up their first win against Dutch opposition in European competition since October 1999 (4-1 v PSV in the Champions League) - they were winless in the previous five such games before tonight (D2 L3).
Feyenoord have only won one of their last 11 away games across all European competitions (D3 L7), with their only clean sheet in this run coming at Hapoel Be'er Sheva (3-0 in a Europa League qualifier last month).
Sheyi Ojo scored his fifth goal of the season for Rangers across all competitions, with four of his five goals coming in European competition (including qualifiers).
James Tavernier's penalty miss was the first by a Rangers player across the Europa League and Champions League since Steven Davis in October 2009 (v Unirea Urziceni).
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Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text
Line-ups
Rangers
1McGregor
2Tavernier
6GoldsonBooked at 90mins
5HelanderBooked at 57mins
31Barisic
8Jack
10Davis
18KamaraBooked at 80minsSubstituted forAriboat 82'minutes
37ArfieldSubstituted forKingat 90'minutes
20MorelosBooked at 34mins
11OjoSubstituted forBarkerat 74'minutes
Substitutes
4Edmundson
9Defoe
13Foderingham
16Halliday
17Aribo
21Barker
29King
Feyenoord
1Vermeer
27Karsdorp
33Botteghin
32Ié
5HapsBooked at 55mins
20TapiaBooked at 41mins
19FerBooked at 39mins
10Berghuis
23KökcüSubstituted forNarsinghat 65'minutes
11LarssonSubstituted forN Jørgensenat 78'minutes
17SinisterraSubstituted forToornstraat 86'minutes
Substitutes
4Senesi
7Narsingh
9N Jørgensen
15Malacia
22Bijlow
28Toornstra
35Burger
Referee:
Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz
Match Stats
Home TeamRangersAway TeamFeyenoord
Possession
Home37%
Away63%
Shots
Home20
Away16
Shots on Target
Home4
Away5
Corners
Home6
Away7
Fouls
Home14
Away8
Live Text
Posted at
Match ends, Rangers 1, Feyenoord 0.
Full TimePosted at 90'+4'
Second Half ends, Rangers 1, Feyenoord 0.
BookingPosted at 90'+3'
Connor Goldson (Rangers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Posted at 90'+3'
Luciano Narsingh (Feyenoord) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 90'+3'
Foul by Connor Goldson (Rangers).
Posted at 90'
Corner, Feyenoord. Conceded by Allan McGregor.
SubstitutionPosted at 90'
Substitution, Rangers. Andy King replaces Scott Arfield.
Posted at 89'
Ridgeciano Haps (Feyenoord) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Posted at 89'
Foul by Scott Arfield (Rangers).
Posted at 88'
Foul by Jens Toornstra (Feyenoord).
Posted at 88'
Filip Helander (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 87'
Renato Tapia (Feyenoord) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 87'
Foul by Scott Arfield (Rangers).
SubstitutionPosted at 86'
Substitution, Feyenoord. Jens Toornstra replaces Luis Sinisterra.
Posted at 86'
Attempt saved. Luciano Narsingh (Feyenoord) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Leroy Fer with a through ball.
Posted at 85'
Attempt blocked. Luis Sinisterra (Feyenoord) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Nicolai Jørgensen.
SubstitutionPosted at 82'
Substitution, Rangers. Joe Aribo replaces Glen Kamara.
Posted at 82'
Renato Tapia (Feyenoord) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 82'
Foul by Ryan Jack (Rangers).
Posted at 81'
Attempt saved. Luis Sinisterra (Feyenoord) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Steven Berghuis.
BookingPosted at 80'
Glen Kamara (Rangers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Posted at 80'
Luciano Narsingh (Feyenoord) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 80'
Foul by Glen Kamara (Rangers).
Posted at 79'
Ridgeciano Haps (Feyenoord) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 79'
Foul by Scott Arfield (Rangers).
SubstitutionPosted at 78'
Substitution, Feyenoord. Nicolai Jørgensen replaces Sam Larsson.
Posted at 76'
Attempt blocked. Alfredo Morelos (Rangers) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ryan Jack.
SubstitutionPosted at 74'
Substitution, Rangers. Brandon Barker replaces Sheyi Ojo.
Posted at 73'
Attempt missed. Ryan Jack (Rangers) right footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Alfredo Morelos.
Posted at 70'
Attempt missed. Scott Arfield (Rangers) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by James Tavernier with a cross.
Posted at 68'
Attempt missed. Alfredo Morelos (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Scott Arfield.
Posted at 67'
Attempt saved. Sam Larsson (Feyenoord) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Steven Berghuis.
SubstitutionPosted at 65'
Substitution, Feyenoord. Luciano Narsingh replaces Orkun Kökcü.
Posted at 64'
Foul by Luis Sinisterra (Feyenoord).
Posted at 64'
Filip Helander (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 60'
Attempt missed. Alfredo Morelos (Rangers) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Sheyi Ojo.
Posted at 60'
Attempt missed. Sheyi Ojo (Rangers) header from very close range misses to the left. Assisted by Ryan Jack.
Posted at 58'
Attempt missed. Steven Berghuis (Feyenoord) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Rick Karsdorp.
BookingPosted at 57'
Filip Helander (Rangers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Posted at 57'
Steven Berghuis (Feyenoord) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Source: bbc.com