Rangers have been sent a stern warning by Slavia Prague manager Jindrich Trpisovsky ahead of the Europa League Last 16 second-leg clash at Ibrox [Slavia.cz].
After a 1-1 draw in the Czech capital last week, the two sides are set to do battle again in Glasgow on Thursday night.
The Gers know that a 0-0 draw or a victory by any scoreline would be enough to see them progress to the quarter-finals and given their record at home this season, they have every right to be confident ahead of the game.
Steven Gerrard’s side have a 100% record at Ibrox in the Premiership, while they’ve defeated Galatasaray, Standard Liege, Lech Poznan and Royal Antwerp there, with Portuguese giants Benfica the only side to hold them to a draw.
Slavia won 2-0 at Premier League side Leicester City in the Round of 32, though, and while Trpisovsky was full of praise for Rangers, he has warned them that they will need to perform to a high level to defeat his side.
“I think Rangers command respect by many things, their history, their name, or their achievements this season,” he said on Wednesday [Slavia.cz]. “But as I always say, the truth lies on the pitch. And you need to prove your quality there.”
“It will all be decided on the pitch. We are enjoying that we can be here, see the beautiful stadium. It is a pity that no fans can be here tomorrow.”
Slavia carry excellent form into this fixture and the likes of Nicolae Stanciu and Abdallah Sima will provide a big test for the Rangers defence, but the hosts will be convinced that if they perform well on the night, they will have enough to make it through.
Should the Gers reach the quarter-finals for the first time under Steven Gerrard, they will receive a substantial cash reward from UEFA.
