Ahead of Rangers’ Europa League clash with Olympiakos on Thursday, there is one name dominating much of the pre-match discussion.
Former striker Kris Boyd thinks he is Rangers’ ‘best player’ on current form. Verging on undroppable, even.
The difference in Rangers’ recent performances with and without Vaclav Cerny in the starting XI, meanwhile, speaks for itself.
After Cerny fired a stunning brace as Rangers thrashed Romanian giants FCSB at Ibrox and then netted the winner against St Mirren, the winger was badly missed by a Gers side who fell nine points adrift of Aberdeen in his absence last midweek.
Fortunately for an under-fire Philippe Clement, Cerny was back in the team versus Motherwell in the Scottish League Cup semi-final. That inch-perfect assist for Nedim Bajrami’s 81st minute winner at Hampden Park, meanwhile, took his tally to seven goal contributions in his last five club appearances.
No wonder Olympiakos boss Jose Luis Mendilibar is wary of the threat Cerny poses as Rangers prepare for Thursday’s kick-off in Piraeus.
- READ MORE: Rangers Europa League Record Since 2017
Olympiakos boss highlights Rangers star Vaclav Cerny
“They are more of a team [than a side of individuals]. More generally, as a team, they are threatening,” Mendibiliar said during his pre-match press conference.
“[But] if anyone can make a difference, it is Cerny. He is a special player.”
Funnily enough, ‘special’ is how Erik ten Hag described Cerny during his formative days in Ajax. After a couple of excellent seasons at FC Twente and a tricky spell at Wolfsburg, a man who turned 27 last month is belatedly showing himself capable of producing match-changing moments on the European stage.
With two wins out of three, meanwhile, Rangers can move one giant step towards the knockout stages this week.
Though Olympiakos – Conference League champions last term and with a coach in Mendilibar who won the Europa League with Sevilla – certainly represent daunting opposition.
“All the matches are difficult, with different difficulties,” adds Mendilibar, who’s Sevilla team beat Roma to add another Europa title to their collection in 2023.
“Tomorrow, for both teams is a very important game. And it will be very balanced. [Rangers] come to claim qualification. We have the same number of wins, the same points, and we want the victory which will be very important for both teams.
“We have analysed the opponent in all their games.”
Jose Luis Mendilibar on what he expects from Rangers
Mendilibar expects Rangers – who have often saved their best performances for continental competition in recent years – to play with typical aggression and directness on Greek soil.
“Our gameplan doesn’t change depending on the opponent. Of course, the opponents are different, a lot depends on them as well,” adds the veteran Spaniard. “Rangers play vertically. We want to push high and do what we want to do both when we play at home and in away games.
““I’m always thinking about the next game. From the games we get the motivation. Especially this year it is a very important event, with the final taking place in my country. Our goal is to go to the next phase, and then game by game we will find the motivation.”
Rangers will be halfway through the first-round phase when the final whistle blows in Greece.
Clement’s team have Nice, Tottenham, Manchester United and Union Saint-Gilloise to come as well between now and the end of January.
