THE performance in Porto was the best that Rangers have produced this season. It was also the most impressive of Filip Helander's Ibrox career.
The challenge for Steven Gerrard's side is to reproduce it on a regular basis, and his Swedish centre-half will now look to do the same on a personal level.
Helander has become the go-to man for Gerrard in the Europa League. Four points have been taken from three matches against Feyenoord, Young Boys and Porto and the £3.5million summer signing was encouraged in the aftermath of the draw at the Estádio do Dragão.
"That is the way it is when you have very good players and I just have to take all of my chances," Helander said. "I have got experience from this level before and that is why I think the manager chose to play me in this type of game.
"We will see but I am pleased with my performance, and I am pleased with the whole team. I think that this is the best game we have played since I came here. Feyenoord was also a good game but this was probably the best game we have played.
"Especially as a team, I thought we did very well both defensively and offensively and we created good chances against a very good team away from home. Maybe we should have gone home with the three points.
"I think the group is very open and there are four teams competing for qualification. Porto were the first ranked team so I think we took a very good point there. It is very open, there are four good teams. Hopefully we can get the two wins at Ibrox and we will see where we are."
The performance of Helander on Thursday night was one of many positives for boss Gerrard. One of the others was Borna Barisic as the Croatian continues his Ibrox resurgence.
The pass that set up Alfredo Morelos for Rangers' equaliser was undoubtedly the highlight, but Barisic is improving and impressing on a regular basis for the Light Blues.
Helander said: "I watched the goal and I said to him after that the first touch cross was perfect. It was a good performance and not just for the goal. It was a good finish from Buff and a fantastic cross from Borna. It was a very good performance overall.
"When you get that confidence and you are playing a couple of good games, you grow as a player. That is normal. As a player, you never liked to get criticised and that is never going to help you. I think everyone can see now that he is a good player and he plays regularly for the Croatian national team, who played the World Cup final last year."
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