By Clive Lindsay

Alex McDonald scored against a strong PSV side in Eindhoven

Rangers historian Robert McElroy is reserving judgement on whether Tuesday's 3-0 victory over Lyon is the club's best away result in Europe.

"As a one-off result, it is a tremendous win," he told BBC Sport.

"But, if Rangers don't make progress in the tournament, the result would not mean a great deal.

"Lyon are the French champions and a club of some standing, but winning the Cup-Winners' Cup in Barcelona is still the single biggest achievement."

Rangers' victory over Lyon reverberated around Europe, especially as it was the Ibrox side's first away win in the tournament in seven years.

And, arguably, it was the best away win by a Scottish club since the end of the old European Cup and one of the best since Rangers beat Moscow Dynamo 3-2 in that Barcelona final.

"When Rangers won 3-2 in Eindhoven in the European Cup in 1978, PSV were not only Dutch champions but were the Uefa Cup holders. Robert McElroy, editor of Rangers Historian magazine

"It is probably Rangers' best result in the Champions League and certainly their biggest win," said the editor of the Rangers Historian magazine.

"They have won away from home on three previous occasions and, while they were achievements in themselves, they were all by a single goal."

But McElroy pointed out that the Glasgow side have had a number of significant European results down the years.

"I was thinking of results like Rapid Vienna in 1964," he said.

"At that time, Rapid were one of the best sides in Europe and Rangers went there and won 2-0 in what was one of Jim Baxter's best games.

"The 2-1 win over Leeds at Elland Road in 1992 was also a terrific result.

"And then there was the 7-2 win over Alania Vladikavkas in 1996 to qualify for the Champions League when they were Russian champions.

"Rangers have also won twice in Monaco and twice in Eindhoven.

MY SPORT: DEBATE Maybe not as good as Scotland's result in my opinion heavypumpin

"When Rangers won 3-2 in Eindhoven in the European Cup in 1978, PSV were not only Dutch champions but were the Uefa Cup holders.

"At that stage, they had never lost a European tie at home, had drawn 0-0 at Ibrox in the first leg and took the lead after 34 seconds.

"Of course, great results do not have to be victories.

"On the way to lifting the Cup-Winners' Cup in 1972, Rangers drew 1-1 in Munich to knock out a Bayern team full of German internationals."

A self-confessed pessimist, McElroy recalls the tournament in 2000, when Rangers won their opening two group games but failed to qualify.

"That was a slightly different situation as there was not one dominant team, as Barcelona are now and there was an even spread of results," he suggested.

"The problem for Rangers is that, if they lose both games to Barca, the Spanish side would have qualified and could play weakened side in their remaining games.