Rangers team news vs Club Brugge: Russell Martin issues Cyriel Dessers update
Rangers face a daunting task in the UEFA Champions League playoff second leg against Club Brugge on Wednesday.
Russell Martin’s Rangers lost the first leg to Club Brugge at Ibrox by a 3-1 scoreline and need to win by three goals to qualify for the Champions League.
Danilo scored for Rangers against Club Brugge to give them a fighting chance ahead of the second leg at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Belgium.
Rangers dropped more points against St Mirren over the weekend, so they’re not heading into this game on the back of a good performance.
Cyriel Dessers set to return for Rangers
Cyriel Dessers has been out of action recently for Rangers with an injury.
This has seen Danilo leading the line for the Ibrox outfit.
However, ahead of the second leg, Martin confirmed that Dessers is “good to go” and that he’s travelled with the squad.
- Dessers finished as the top scorer in the Scottish Premiership last season with 18 goals
- He has been linked with an Ibrox exit this summer
- The forward bagged a goal and an assist against Viktoria Plzen in the last round.
The Nigeria international last played for Gers in the 1-1 draw against Dundee on 9 August.
It’s unclear if he will be handed the start or if Martin would prefer to bring him on in the second half to avoid re-injury.
- Read more: ‘Ridiculous’ Nick Walsh torn to shreds over Max Aarons incident in Rangers draw vs St Mirren
Russell Martin needs to win the tactical battle
Martin will emphasise a high-pressing start to disrupt Brugge’s confident counter-attacks that caused a lot of damage in the first leg.
Deploying an attacking 4-3-3 could exploit Brugge’s defence that appeared shaky on occasion.
Defensively, Martin needs to tighten marking on set-pieces and ensure Jack Butland’s distribution initiates quick transitions to avoid the anxiety-induced errors seen at Ibrox.
Mohamed Diomande and Nicolas Raskin must shield the backline while Rangers control over 60 per cent possession to limit Brugge’s transitions.
Mentally, the Gers boss should instil resilience, drawing from the second-half recovery in the first leg, urging players to drop egos and embrace the underdog role.
With Brugge’s strong home form and Rangers’ historical European comebacks, tactical discipline, width exploitation and clinical finishing from set-pieces or open play are essential for progression and salvaging Martin’s turbulent tenure amid fan unrest.
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