Bosz adamant Light Blues still a threat
Bayer Leverkusen boss Peter Bosz last night re f u s e d to write off Rangers, despite their form slump and gave an ominous Europa League warning ahead of their trip to Ibrox.
The Bundesliga highfliers ripped Eintracht Frankfurt apart to win 4- 0 with a display that oozed class and should ring alarm bells as they cruised to an easy win without ever having to get out of second gear.
Brazilian kid Paulinho fired in a quick-fire double on his first league start for the club and fellow youngster Kai Havertz opened the scoring with winger Karim Bellarabi also netting.
The only downside was a knee injury to Sven Bender that looks to rule the defender out for Thursday’s first leg.
But Bosz is expecting a serious test from the Ibrox men ahead of the last- 16 clash, despite their recent poor form.
He said: “I k n ow Rangers deserve respect because of the results they have achieved in the Europa League this season. They have beaten Braga, Porto and Feyenoord, so we know they will be dangerous.
“I am looking forward to taking my team to Glasgow. I have never played in Scotland so I am hoping to enjoy it.
“We are playing with confidence and we want to go far in this competition.
“Sven Bender is about to have an MRI scan so we don’t know how bad his injury is yet.
“I am very satisfied today. To win 4- 0 against Frankfurt in a busy week is not easy. And we played very well today indeed.”
Leverkusen are clearly brimming in confidence after their eighth win in nine g a m e s. The Bundesliga club are full of attacking creativity and travel to Glasgow in great heart.
It took Leverkusen less than four minutes to give Rangers a timely reminder of what will face when 20- year- old midfielder Havertz poked Moussa Diaby’s measured cross into the net.
The lead was doubled in the 15th minute when Bellarbi tucked in Paulinho’s cross.
But the hosts were hit with an injury blow when Bender limped off in the first half with a knee injury and was replaced Jonathan Tah. His brother Lars – the club captain – also missed yesterday’s clash with a thigh strain and teammate Nadiem Amiri is also injured with a shoulder injury.
Three minutes later it was game over thanks to a brilliant goal from striker Paulinho. The 19-year-old Brazilian skipped past two defenders before dispatching the coolest of finishes.
Paulinho doubled his tally in the 55th minute when he again slid the ball home from a similar position from a threaded pass Havertz.