Red Star Belgrade sends message to Rangers after Europa League draw
Rangers will face Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League in the last 16 knock-out rounds.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side are flying high in confidence after beating Borussia Dortmund 6-4 on aggregate over two legs to book a place in the last 16.
The Gers now face a daunting trip to 55,000 Rajko Mitic Stadium, nicknamed the Maracana.
The stadium is seen as one of the most hostile environments in world football, and Rangers will play the second leg away from Ibrox on March 17.
Red Star Belgrade have sent a message to Rangers on Twitter: “Long time no see.”
Europe priorities
Having beaten Dortmund in a spectacular fashion, Rangers must aim high and prepare themselves properly for this clash.
There are suggestions that focusing on Europe could hamper their domestic form, where Celtic have taken a three-point lead.
The primary focus, of course, is retaining the Scottish Premiership title, but Rangers cannot let this opportunity pass by.
The Gers squad is big enough and they should be able to cope with the dual demands of domestic and European adventures.
It will be interesting to see how Rangers approach the first leg. The second leg will be difficult, especially in a hostile atmosphere.
They need to take a big lead in the first leg at Ibrox, but it is easier said than done. Knock-out ties need a bit of luck as well, so there are a lot of factors that can work for/against them.
In other Rangers news, this BBC pundit was left ‘screaming’ after major transfer development at Ibrox