Morelos loss is a big blow for Rangers, says Bacca
FOR ALL BREAKING SPORTS NEWS VISIT
VILLARREAL striker Carlos Bacca insists Rangers will be severely weakened in their Europa League tie in Spain this week because international team-mate Alfredo Morelos is suspended. Steven Gerrard takes his team to El Madrigal on Thursday for the opening game in the group stage but will be without newlycapped Colombian striker Morelos, as well as Jon Flanagan after the pair were sent off in Russia against FC Ufa. Villarreal laboured to their first win of the season yesterday in La Liga after a 1-0 victory against Madrid minnows Leganes thanks to a goal from Bacca, who came on as a substitute.
Bacca played with Morelos for the first time at international level and he is convinced the Ibrox top scorer’s absence on Thursday is a massive loss.
‘Morelos is a really good, young player. I spoke to him during the international break and he told me he had been sent off in the last round, so he wouldn’t play against us,’ Bacca, who once cost AC Milan £28million, told Sportsmail.
‘He was very disappointed about it but it’s good for us because he’s a dangerous player. He did well when he came on in the international against Venezuela — he got a chance to score immediately.
‘Unfortunately, he didn’t take it, but he showed he knows how to get into the right position.
‘It’s a pity for him but it’s good for us that he will be missing. He’s a strong boy and he would be a tough opponent, so it’s lucky for us he won’t play.’
Bacca believes Morelos is the future of Colombian football and he pointed out: ‘I’m 32 and so is Radamel Falcao, so Colombia has to bring in younger players for the future.
‘If Alfredo continues to do what he’s been doing in a strong league, he will be the future for our country.
‘When we play in El Madrigal, we know we have to fight on behalf of everyone and our results haven’t been good. But the supporters will be happy with our La Liga result and it’s a big boost for us.
‘Our confidence hasn’t been high but a win changes everything. It moves us up the table but the important thing is that it gives us a boost before a big European game.
‘We want to take that into the Europa League. It’s an important competition for the club and Villarreal have done well in European competitions before. The aim for us is to make progress in the competition.’
Villarreal boss Javier Calleja expects a huge test from Gerrard’s men this week and believes toughtackling Leganes handed them the perfect preparation.
He said: ‘Rangers are a very strong team but the game against Leganes was the ideal preparation.
‘Leganes are an aggressive team, I think everyone could see that. We had to win a battle to get our victory and I expect the Scottish team to be the same.
‘Rangers have power in all positions and if we are to win the game we will have to be just as strong as them.
‘I played against Rangers in March 2006 when we drew 1-1 against them and knocked them out of the competition on away goals, but the teams and the game is totally different now.
‘Rangers have had good preparation for the game — they have had good results in the competition already and they will be tough opponents.
‘I have not studied them closely but we will focus on them in the coming days. It will be good to go into the match against them having got our league season properly started.
‘The games so far have been difficult but we battled well today and could have won by more goals than we did.
‘We will be ready for Rangers and we hope to get the group stage off to a successful start.’
Villarreal grabbed their first win of the season yesterday, but Rangers can take plenty of encouragement ahead of their Europa League encounter. The La Liga side had endured their worst start to a season for 20 years after picking up just one point and one goal from their opening three matches.
They toiled to a win yesterday and looked far from invincible. Indeed, Villarreal had to rely on the home side missing a penalty at Estadio Butarque and were lacking in confidence as well as goal threats.
Calleja had claimed he was not going to rotate ahead of the clash with Rangers, but he showed how seriously he was taking the match with Gerrard’s side by making five changes to the team that lost at home to Girona in their last game.
They play a 4-1-3-2 system with Manu Morlanes acting as a holding midfielder.
They were narrow and lacked width and it’s easy to see why they have struggled for goals, their strike force of Gerard Moreno and Toko Ekambi feeding on scraps for most of the game.
But they are compact at the back and well organised, so Rangers will have to work hard to break through.
It’s a pity for him but it’s good for us that he will be missing