Rangers are all set to face Athletic Bilbao for a place in the Europa League semi-finals.
The Gers overcame Fenerbahce on penalty kicks to earn a spot in the Europa League quarter finals and will face off against the La Liga side for a place in the last four.
Athletic manager Ernesto Valverde has always dreamed of facing Rangers and will live that out at Ibrox on the 10th of April, with the return in Bilbao on the 17th.
With Athletic’s Estadio de San Mames the host of this season’s Final, there’s plenty of motivation for the Spaniards to overcome Rangers and reach the showpiece.
But with Europe’s elite reportedly set to knock on the Spanish side’s door this summer, there’s now £125m of extra motivation for the Basque club to go on and lift the famous trophy.
Athletic handed Nico Williams motivations against Rangers
Rangers will have to keep Nico Williams quiet to stand any chance of progression against Athletic, the creative winger one of the leading players in a talented Spain team.
The 22-year-old is the younger brother of Athletic legend Inaki and is turning up trees as one of the most exciting young players in European football.
According to Spanish outlet Super Deporte, Athletic are braced for substantial interest in the winger come to the end of the season.
Remarkably, Athletic are said to value the attacker at €150m (£125m) with some of European football’s top clubs all vying for the kid’s signature.
This includes Chelsea, Arsenal, PSG, and Barcelona, who are all trying to convince Nico to join them come the end of the season.
Whilst 4th place Athletic are on track for automatic Champions League through La Liga, victory in the Europa League also guarantees the club a spot in the competition next season.
If that’s not enough to convince Nico Williams to stick around, winning the Europa League at the San Mames with the winger in tow would represent a romantic send-off.
Rangers handed Europa League blueprint to shut out Athletic
It’s clear Rangers will need to be at their best to overcome a talented Athletic Bilbao side.
Rangers’ abysmal record v Spanish teams does not make for good reading, although Rangers did win their only European tie over the Basque outfit way back in 1969.
A Sir Alex Ferguson inspired Rangers dumped Bilbao 4-1 in Glasgow with Athletic’s 2-0 victory in Spain not enough to overturn the tie.
Rangers can also take some inspiration from Athletic’s clash with Osasuna over the weekend.
Rangers will be without John Souttar and Mohamed Diomande at Ibrox and face a mammoth task to take an advantage to Spain for the second leg of the tie.
But Barry Ferguson will be analysing how Osasuna shut a talented Athletic side out in Spain to earn a point after a 0-0 draw in the San Mames.
Athletic had the bulk of the possession and the chances but Osasuna – who are currently 14th in La Liga – limited the Champions League chasers to an xG of 0.7 on the day.
If Rangers can edge Athletic out at Ibrox and take a lead to Spain, it might well be the blueprint for reaching the competition’s semi-finals.
Barry Ferguson’s Rangers manager chances could depend on it.
