Rangers v Osijek preview: Steven Gerrard wants Gers to forget first-leg lead
Wednesday 1 August 2018 16:29, UK
Steven Gerrard has said Rangers should forget about their first-leg advantage when hosting Osijek in their Europa League second round qualifier on Thursday.
Gerrard's Rangers edged out the Croatian side 1-0 on their travels last week, ensuring they have both a lead and an away goal to bring back to Ibrox.
The Gers have already beaten Macedonian side Shkupi 2-0 on aggregate, as they look to reach the group stages of a European competition for the first time since 2010.
Former Liverpool and England captain Gerrard is wary of his side getting carried away with their advantage, and has urged them to ignore it ahead of the return leg.
He said: "We're confident, we can't wait for the game. We're looking forward to a special atmosphere.
"The stage is set for us to go play how we are capable of playing. I made it very clear to the players at the weekend what Ibrox wants to see from us in possession and out of possession. The players will know the game plan and now they need to go deliver.
"They need to forget what happened in the first leg - this game will be totally different. They need to forget about the scoreline and thinking they have an advantage, because they need to go toe-to-toe with this opposition. If we do and play to our level, I'm very confident we'll get the right result."
Team news
Scott Arfield has rejoined the Rangers squad ahead of Thursday's Europa League showdown with Osijek.
Gers welcome back former Burnley midfielder Arfield from the knee injury he suffered against FK Shkupi in the previous round.
However, Declan John (back), Lee Wallace (groin), Jordan Rossiter (ankle) and Graham Dorrans (knee) remain out ith Umar Sadiq unlikely to feature while still short on fitness. Meanwhile, defender Fabio Cardoso has joined Santa Clara.
