Rangers opponents for the Europa League Round of 32, Braga, laid down a marker at the weekend by winning 7-1 at Belenenses in the Primeira Liga after appointing a new manager.
The Portuguese club sacked previous boss, Ricardo Sa Pinto, just prior to Christmas and appointed former B-team coach, Ruben Amorim, in time for their return from a brief winter break.
He couldn’t have asked for a more emphatic win for his first game in charge, as his players dished out a hammering.
Goals from Ricardo Horta (2), Francisco Trincao, Joao Palhinha, Paulinho and Rui Fonte (2) saw the visitors blow away Belenenses, despite the two teams being separated by just three points prior to kick-off.
The win has lifted Braga to sixth in the table [BBC Sport]
Verdict
It’s an impressive start to Ruben Amorim’s tenure, particularly given the team’s struggles in domestic competition over the first half of the season.
Most Rangers fans were delighted to be drawn against the Portuguese club rather than having to face European giants such as Ajax or Inter Milan, and rightly so.
However, this latest result and their exploits in Europa League Group K, through which they went unbeaten, recording wins over Wolves and Besiktas, shows beyond all doubt that they have real quality within their squad.
The Round of 32 is still over a month away, but if this is the start of a strong Braga run, they will be high in confidence when it comes time to travel to Ibrox for the first leg.
