Rangers are preparing to face off against Premier League giants Liverpool and – whisper it quietly – there’s a good feeling brewing inside the club’s Champions League camp.
The Anfield giants might be last season’s beaten finalists, and they might’ve completely dominated a starstruck Rangers on Merseyside but gone is the shine from Jurgen Klopp’s team and up for it are a Rangers support who pencilled this one into their diary as soon as the draw was made.
Special things happen at Ibrox on European nights and if the Govan stars align – and the Rangers team get over their early season Champions League timidness – then the Light Blues don’t actually look the worst bet at Ibrox this evening.
Especially when you consider Liverpool’s crisis of domestic confidence and the fact they have what is quite simply a must-win tie with Man City looming large this weekend.
Rangers don’t quite boast the stars of Pep Guardiola’s squad – the most expensively assembled in history FYI – so we suspect amid injuries and rotation this could be a Liverpool XI with a twist.
All of this has contributed to a positive feeling in the Rangers camp but don’t get it twisted; this is still one of football’s strongest squads and a few of us are probably due pinching ourselves for even thinking we’ll beat them.
But – whisper it quietly again – with the right attitude and application and on the right evening, anything is possible at Ibrox.
We suspect Rangers will start with their bonafide number one Allan McGregor between the sticks, the 40-year-old veteran settling any goalkeeping debate in Liverpool last week.
In front of him, we’re tipping Rangers to go with a back three of Connor Goldson, Ben Davies and Leon King, with Borna Barisic and James Tavernier advancing into high intensity wing-back roles.
Where we suspect Rangers might look quite different from Anfield is in attack, with John Lundstram and Steven Davis providing familiar discipline in midfield and the club going for pace up front.
Out left, expect Ryan Kent to come back into the team, with Antonio Colak and Fashion Sakala playing their way into our starting XI in recent games.
Rangers predicted XI v Liverpool in Champions League clash – 5-4-1
GK – Allan McGregor
WBR – James Tavernier
DC – Connor Goldson
DC – Ben Davies
DC – Leon King
WBL – Borna Barisic
CM – John Lundstram
CM – Steven Davis
RW – Fashion Sakala
ST – Antonio Colak
LW – Ryan Kent
