Portuguese men of awe make Gerrard happy to be at home
Steven Gerrard reckons Rangers will face “one hell of a challenge” to see off Braga to reach the Europa League’s last 16.
The Light Blues host the Portuguese at Ibrox on Thursday night, before travelling to the Municipal Stadium for the return leg six days later.
Bookmakers are unable to split the two teams, offering 10/11 for either club to qualify.
As far as the Light Blues manager is concerned, that is possibly being a little generous to his players.
“This is a big moment for everyone connected with the club,” said Gerrard.
“As a manager, you always try to get ahead of the game.
“The winter break gives you an opportunity to look at what you will be coming up against, and I had the chance to watch some Braga games.
“They will be dangerous opposition. The level is about to go up in terms of what we faced in the group stage.
“I am not sure about the clubs’ respective European records, but I would have said bookmakers would probably have made them favourites, which would be fine.
“People might find that a bit of a surprise because we were in a group with Porto – who were obviously very competitive – and we came through there.
“But we’ve watched a Cup Final that Braga played against Porto, and they managed to scrape over the line late on in the game.
“This is a good team, full of really technically-good players, Brazilian players and they’ve also got some grit and steel about them as well. “Paulinho is scoring heavily for them. “In the footage I’ve watched so far, they are very similar to Porto in style, and the amount of technical players that they have.
“I actually think this time round I am quite happy that the first game is at home.
“Look, for us we’ve done ever so well to earn this opportunity.
“Obviously, the form we are in right now, this game is going to be one hell of a challenge for us.”
Rangers have struggled at times to break down sides who sit in against them and hit on the break.
And for all Braga will arrive on the back of a winning streak, masterminded by new manager Ruben Amorim, Gerrard suspects fans may need to be patient once again on Thursday.
“We believe that they might be a bit sensible when they come here at first, and play us on the counter attack,” he said.
“But this is us guessing how they’ve looked in certain games, and what they’ve done in Europe before to get to this stage.
“We think they will try to remain in the game and be really organised, and take it into the second leg.
“It’s going to be interesting tactically how both teams set up to go about it. I feel it’s quite fascinating.
“It is knock-out European football, and I think you have to be incredibly organised out of possession.
“If you are not, players at this level will hurt you, and hurt you badly.
“So before you worry about creating and scoring, you have to get that discipline right.
If it sounds a tall order, Gerrard has personal experience of what he is talking about.
“I have worked for managers like Fabio Capello and Rafa Benitez, and that’s what they are the world’s best for, that’s why I had a lot of success as a player in Europe,” he said.
“Going into these two ties, if we are not on the money out of possession and organisation and where we are on the pitch – and we don’t do it together, we could have some issues and complications.
“Having that gives you the base to go and create and have moments in the game that we will have to take.
“So, without sounding daft, we are going to have to be spot-on in both sides of the game to get success over the two legs.”