Dejan Stankovic sends warning to Rangers ahead of EL clash
Dejan Stankovic has sent warnings to Rangers that Red Star Belgrade will be twice the team at home.
The Marakana stadium is known for its hostile atmosphere, and the Red Star boss is hoping that the support from the home fans will charge the players.
The Gers are leading by 3-0 from their first leg and they should be able to progress through to the next round unless there’s a dramatic collapse.
“This stadium makes the players of Zvezda twice as strong as usual, that adrenaline, that roar that comes from the stands, they are the same ones who were in Glasgow,” said Stankovic, as quoted by the Daily Record.
“Marakana will not scare the Rangers, because they are used to such an atmosphere, but they will have two times stronger rival than in Glasgow.”
Focus
If Rangers can withstand the first 10-15 minutes without conceding a goal, they will feel a lot more confident.
The atmosphere can be intimidating, but eventually, the game will be decided on what the players do on the pitch.
The fans will cheer the home team up, but Rangers players need to stick to their plans and not get distracted away.
It is very important to come up with strong tactics and properly execute them.
The Gers will certainly have the confidence after beating Borussia Dortmund 4-2 away from home in this competition already.
Getting an away goal would kill the tie, so the Gers should always look for opportunities to increase their lead.
Allan McGregor was superb in the first leg where he saved a penalty. He also made some brilliant saves in that game, and it could be a busy night for him on Thursday.
In other Rangers news, fans in Australia will get Old Firm derby tickets 58% cheaper than those in Glasgow.