Rangers v Braga: Steven Gerrard says his team play their best when they ‘fear an opponent in the right way’

Steven Gerrard has earmarked Thursday’s Europa League clash with Braga as the perfect opportunity for Rangers to rediscover their swagger from earlier in the season.
Rangers players at the Hummel Training Centre. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA WireRangers players at the Hummel Training Centre. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire
Rangers players at the Hummel Training Centre. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

The Ibrox side have found European action under Gerrard particularly invigorating and are unbeaten in 14 games at home under the manager. Gerrard has challenged his side to tap back into the form that secured a place in the knockout stage of the Europa League.

He has been boosted by the expected return of Borna Barisic, who came through Wednesday’s training session after recovering from a hip injury sustained against Hamilton in the Scottish Cup. The Croatian can restore balance to a side who have endured a bruising few weeks.

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It’s been an unnerving period for Gerrard, who was compelled to question some of his players – as well as his own recruitment strategy – following the defeat by Kilmarnock eight days ago. A victory, albeit narrow, over Livingston has steadied the ship. Gerrard is confident Rangers will take the opportunity to rise to the occasion against a team he has described as the best side in Portugal.

Braga have taken their already impressive performances under manager Ruben Amorim up another notch in recent weeks by lifting the Portuguese League Cup against Porto and winning at Benfica’s Stadium of Light for the first time since the 1960s.

A fiercely partisan Ibrox will not necessarily faze a side who have won all their away fixtures in Europe to date this season. Rangers, by contrast, have struggled domestically in recent weeks. Nevertheless, there’s something about European nights that seems to appeal to Gerrard’s team, particularly at home. Even the tag of underdogs, which Gerrard was sure to bestow upon Rangers, might suit them.

“We know we are playing the best team in Portugal right now,” said Gerrard. “They are the form team and one we have a lot of respect for. But having watched them and analysed them, there are areas of their game where we believe we can go and hurt them. It’s a case of us trying to rediscover our best. I think tomorrow night is a perfect opportunity to bring our best. Because if we do, I believe we can get the result we want.

“I have noticed about this group that when they are in that underdog situation or they maybe fear an opponent in the right way – where they have that ultimate respect for someone – it seems to really galvanise us and bring us together to find our best,” he added. “I hope that’s going to be the case again tomorrow.”

There will be an extra frisson to the night given the knockout element of these latter stages of the tournament. Rangers’ fate will be known as soon as next Wednesday night, when the second leg takes place in Braga, so the onus is on the home side to establish a foothold in the tie this evening. “One of the big things when we first came in was that we wanted to protect Ibrox,” said Gerrard. “It is our pitch, our home.”

Protecting Ibrox has taken on another meaning following the recent bad weather. Rangers’ clash with Livingston on Saturday was moved back 24 hours when the pitch failed an inspection which means the surface has had even less time to recover prior to this evening.

Braga were not permitted to train at Ibrox last night and instead completed their preparations at the Hummel training centre in pouring rain. “It happened to us last year in Vienna,” said Gerrard. “They wouldn’t let us use the pitch because of the condition and the weather.”