Ibrox side’s seeding won’t fool Fornals

VILLARREAL’S Spanish international midfielder Pablo Fornals has huge respect for Rangers ahead of their Europa League showdown this week and insists he is ignoring the seedings which placed the Ibrox side in the bottom pot.

Steven Gerrard’s men travel to Spain to face Villarreal on Thursday at El Madrigal after they got past four punishing rounds to reach the group stage, eliminating Shkupi, Osijek, Maribor and Ufa along the way.

Villarreal emerged from a mini-crisis at the weekend with their first win of the season when they defeated Leganes in Madrid. Previously, they had collected just one point and scored only once in their opening three La Liga games.

Rangers were placed into Pot Four for the draw, while Villarreal were top seeds in Group G which also features Rapid Vienna and Spartak Moscow.

But Fornals, who was capped by Spain as a 20-year-old, believes those seeding pots mean nothing and he expects Rangers to give them a tough test at their atmospheric stadium.

He said: ‘Rangers have a great history in football and it will be a test for us from the start, but all the games in the group will be difficult.

‘All the teams involved have pedigree... us, Rangers, Rapid Vienna and Spartak Moscow. They are all big clubs and it’s impossible to say who is the favourites to qualify.

‘Yes, we were the first seeds and Rangers were the fourth, but there’s not a big difference between the clubs and Rangers have already had some good results in the competition.

‘They are already in a routine of playing matches on Thursdays then going back to Scotland for their domestic competition.

‘They have experience of playing games in Europe, going to places and getting good results, so we need to make sure they don’t get another this week.’

Fornals, who scored the winning goal this year against Real Madrid to give Villarreal their first ever win at the Bernabeu Stadium, is looking forward to playing against a team managed by Gerrard.

And he expects a special night at El Madrigal on Thursday.

He said: ‘I know Steven Gerrard is their new coach and he will want to continue the career he had as a player in coaching.

‘He was one of the top players of his era and he has vast experience of being a winner. That’s what he will be trying to put into his players in Scotland.

‘I will be emotional because when El Madrigal is full on a European night, it is magical.’