Rangers are preparing for the biggest game of their season against Manchester United in the Europa League.
The Gers, who sit second in the Scottish Premiership, are preparing to face Manchester United at Old Trafford after beating Highland League outfit Fraserburgh in the Scottish Cup.
They face a United side recently described as ‘the worst team maybe’ in the history of the club by Ruben Amorim, after suffering a 3-1 defeat against Brighton which leaves them positioned in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
However, United are unbeaten in the Europa League this season, with Amorim winning his last two matches in the competition.
United need at least four points from their remaining two matches to qualify for the knockout phase. On the other hand, Rangers could need two wins to secure a place in the latter stages.
Rangers won’t fear Manchester United
This will be a huge occasion for Rangers as it means a first trip to Old Trafford for a lot of their players.
The two teams have not met in European competition since 2010, when United beat Rangers in the Champions League. Sir Alex Ferguson was manager at the time and Wayne Rooney scored the only goal at Ibrox Stadium.
Moreover, Rangers have failed to beat United on four occasions in competitive matches. They also met in a pre-season friendly during the summer, with the Reds winning 2-0 thanks to goals from Amad Diallo and Joe Hugill.
The current crop of Rangers players won’t be paying too much attention to previous meetings because they are looking to cause an upset this time around.
Rangers midfielder Connor Barron claims to be looking forward to a ‘dream’ Europa League occasion on Thursday night.
The 22-year-old told Belfast Telegraph: “There shouldn’t be fear going into any game.
“You’ve got a job to do as a professional football player to go out there and play the best you can and play for the jersey.
“And that’s what we’ll go and do on Thursday. It’s one you dream of as a kid, just like you do pulling on the shirt.
“It’s another game so we look forward to it. Obviously they’re a top side. But we’re positive. We’ll look forward to the game.
“We’ve got to go and do a job on Thursday and hopefully we can go and do it.
“Obviously every game is a massive game for this club and Thursday’s another one.”
Amad Diallo will have fire in his belly against Rangers
One United first-team player who has reason to smile this season is Amad, who will be looking to show Rangers how far he has come since his six-month loan spell at the Scottish Club.
The Ivorian rocked up at Rangers three years ago but struggled for consistent minutes and starts under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Amad went on to have a stunning season at Sunderland and he’s now one of the first names in Amorim’s line-up.
This won’t be the first time Amad has faced Rangers and he will be looking to score against his former club again.
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