Coolness under pressure can be a priceless commodity. Certainly worth more than what West Bromwich Albion were prepared to pay for James Tavernier.
Twenty-four hours after the Rangers captain was the subject of a rejected £2million bid from the Championship, he stepped up to again show his value in a moment that matters.
Another flawless penalty conversion – his third already this season – proved a pivotal moment in assembling a precious first leg lead for Steven Gerrard's men in this absorbing Europa League third qualifying round tie. In doing so, the right-back crowned an impressive personal display and increased hope of ending the curse Maribor have held over Scottish opponents.
Four times in the last eight years the Slovenians have come out on top in European ties, with Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen and Hibernian all falling to their sword.
The odds on a fifth straight victim began to tumble when Mitja Viler's sensational finish cancelled out an early Alfredo Morelos opener to give a resurgent Maribor half-time parity.
Rangers, though, responded strongly to Gerrard's interval instructions to produce a superb second half. More aggressive all over the pitch, they were back in front when Morelos won the spot-kick tucked away by Tavernier.
From there, the Ibrox side looked the team in command. A late, third goal from Lassana Coulibaly doubled the advantage ahead of next Thursday's second leg.
What an opportunity they now have. There were more than enough signs of quality from Darko Milanic's men here to still promise a very testing examination in the picturesque Slovenian town. Maribor's away goal will be an obvious source of belief.
Rangers, though, can harbour plenty confidence of their own. Unbeaten in the opening six games of Gerrard's reign, the Liverpool icon is building a team that looks tougher than any of those to call this ground their home in recent years.
A place in the Europa League play-offs against either Russian side Ufa or Progres Niederkorn, who need no introduction to Ibrox fans, would be a significant staging post for Gerrard's new regime.
Rangers had been occupied in other ways prior to kick-off. The 5pm transfer deadline in England provoked outgoings as Gerrard's squad revamp continued.
Declan John – who had slid well down the full-back pecking order – was sold to Swansea City in a deal worth up to £800,000. Then Wigan trumped long-standing interest from Ipswich Town in Josh Windass to tie up a £2.5 million transfer of the 24-year-old, a prolific scorer last season. His exit will accelerate Gerrard's plans to add another forward option.
Tavernier was, however, still present to lead out the Ibrox side - and the club’s media team could be counted among those relieved by that stance. They had given pride of place on the front of last night’s match programme to an image of Tavernier gazing lovingly at his captain’s armband.
Five minutes in and the focus of the right-back’s admiration had switched to his attacking colleagues. A perfect start for Rangers was delivered thanks to a prime example of the high energy, high pressing mindset Gerrard is determined to instil.
Scott Arfield led the hunt. Driving forward from midfield to hound Marko Suler, he dispossessed the Maribor centre-back and fed Ryan Kent just inside the penalty area.
Cutting onto his right foot, the Liverpool loanee curled in a testing effort that had Jasmin Handanovic at full stretch to repel it.
Not that the goalkeeper gained any reward for his athleticism. With Morelos quicker off the park than any of his defenders, Handanovic looked up to see the Colombian knock in from close range and send a surge of noise through Ibrox.
Morelos milked his moment. A lengthy celebration in front of the Broomloan Road stand perhaps spoke of the lingering frustration from last Sunday’s red card against Aberdeen, which an SFA panel downgraded to a booking earlier this week.
Ryan Jack was another who hadn’t seen out the 90 minutes at Pittodrie. The head knock he sustained there meant no place for a midfielder who had started the season in outstanding form.
Lassana Coulibaly provided plentiful aggression in front of the back four, yet Jack’s sense of positioning and control was still a significant loss. Rangers looked increasingly stretched as Maribor recovered from the shock of their early setback.
Aleks Pihler’s skittering strike that forced Allan McGregor to shovel behind for a corner was the first clear sign of a growing confidence. An even better save followed from the Ibrox veteran to deny Amir Derisevic after 21 minutes, with Tavernier springing into a challenge to block Luka Zahovic’s goal-bound follow-up.
There was a reprieve when Sasa Ivkovic jumped and missed in front of a tempting Ivkovic delivery, but the direction of traffic was now clear. It required another fine Tavernier intervention, this time on Gregor Badje, to prevent Denis Klinar’s thrust behind Jon Flanagan and subsequent cross from being converted.
Even then, for all that Slovenian threat, the half still pivoted on a 39th minute piece of profligacy from Rangers.
Daniel Candeias initially reacted superbly to seize upon a wayward pass as Handanovic suffered a radar malfunction. The Portuguese winger could easily have struck at goal but instead played it to Morelos, who hadn’t sufficiently retreated from an offside position. His glee at poking into an empty net was swiftly curtailed by the assistant referee’s flag.
Maribor were level a minute later, and this time there was nothing McGregor could do about it. A sweeping cross-field pass from Derisevic found Viler sneaking into the inside-left channel, from where he exploded a jaw-dropping, angled finish into the far corner of the net.
A stunned silenced on Ibrox, followed by a sigh of relief when Derisevic lashed a 20-yard strike narrowly off target prior to the break.
Rangers needed to re-assert some control. Gerrard’s half-time words had resulted in flying start to the second half against Osijek last week, and it was the same once more. The Ibrox manager clearly gets the right messages across.
Coulibaly signalled the charge with a thump from the fringe of the area that Handanovic tipped over the top. Rangers stayed on the front foot and gained their reward when Connor Goldson slung a searching pass in the direction of Morelos.
The striker darted into the area, nicking the ball between Ivkovic’s legs before being toppled by the defender’s challenge. Israeli referee Roi Reinshreiber pointed to the spot and Tavernier stepped up to calmly send Handanovic the wrong way.
Now the Rangers fans had found their voice again. Maribor were starting to look seriously stressed as Tavernier almost doubled his tally with a swerving striker that Handanovic pushed away.
Coulibaly, though, would bundle in an 86th minute cross from substitute Jamie Murphy to spread delirium around Ibrox.
