THE NOT SO YOUNG TU
Galatasaray have galaxy of stars but Rangers can beat ageing talent. Here’s how...
RANGERS have been here before, but the scale of the challenge facing them has perhaps never been quite so steep.
Tomorrow night, Turkish giants Galatasaray will be coming to town for a onelegged play- off tie, with a place in the group stages the reward for the winning side.
Steven Gerrard’s record in qualifying is so far unblemished, with the Ibrox manager successfully navigating his way through the preliminary stages of the tournament in the last two seasons.
Those results – first against Russian side Ufa and then Poland’s Legia Warsaw last season – have been two fairly prominent feathers in the former Liverpool captain’s cap, but victory over Fatih Terim’s men in Govan tomorrow evening would represent the biggest scalp of the lot.
To do that though, there are a few key individuals that will need to be kept quiet by the Rangers players – and there are one or two vulnerabilities in Galatasaray’s side that will need to be exposed if the Premiership league leaders are to progress to the Europa League proper.
Cut off service to Falcao
Fans of the Premier League may be familiar with the Colombian forward after a couple of underwhelming spells at first Manchester United and then Chelsea but while Falcao is getting on a bit, the 34- year- old remains a potent threat in front of goal.
The former Atletico Madrid man finished last season with 10 league goals to his name in his debut campaign in Istanbul but has come flying out of the traps this term, scoring three goals in as many games for Terim’s men.
Falcao is not as mobile as he was in his heyday though, and while the striker’s movement and technique on the ball is phenomenal, he can drift out of games if the opposition can cut off his service.
To do that, Rangers will need to keep a very close eye on former Valencia winger Sofiane Feghouli and one- time Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan. Both are outstanding with the ball at their feet and have enjoyed successful careers at the top of the game, and the pair have been Galatasaray’s greatest creative outlets so far this season.
If Rangers can stifle these two players and restrict the space they prefer to operate in, then Gerrard’s men will go a long way to nullifying the threat posed by Falcao.
Be energetic
It might sound simple but adopting a high- energy, intense approach could be a crucial factor in Rangers sealing their passage to the group stages.
There is no doubting the talent and quality that Terim has at his disposal and many of his charges have played for some of the continent’s most illustrious teams in the past. But there is no getting away from the fact that age is catching up to a few of them.
In midfield, Feghouli, Turan and Younes Belhanda – while all fine players – are all the wrong side of 30. Up front, Falcao is now 34. Ryan Babel, often lining up on the left wing, is 33. Omer Bayram, a regular in midfield, is 29.
These players don’t have the legs they once did and while they are all technically gifted, they can be tired out through relentless pressing and movement from the opposition. Galatasaray do not attempt many dribbles or crosses per game; Terim relies on his players to produce opportunities through incisive play and deadly finishing. If Rangers can out- work their opponents and add a greater deal of industry, they can take advantage of some tired legs as the clock winds down.
Full- backs must be brave
Borna Barisic and James
Tavernier have both been in superb form over the opening weeks of the campaign, particularly when making their trademark runs forward. The pair have six goals and eight assists between them already this season and the duo could cause the Turks all sorts of problems.
As already pointed out, neither of the wingers in Terim’s 4- 1- 4- 1 formation are especially industrious or agile. If both of Gerrard’s full- backs can push on, they can then offer Rangers highly effective options in attack – which could prove useful in breaking down a defence that had the second- best record in the Super Lig last season – while simultaneously pinning the Galatasaray wingers back in their own half, thus minimising their threat.
Right- back Omar
The scale of the challenge ... has never been so steep
Elabdellaoui tends to play his role rather conservatively, preferring to maintain the defence’s shape than embarking on marauding runs down the right. On the opposite flank, fellow Norwegian Martin Linnes does break forward on occasion, and Barisic will need to be wary not to get caught out by an overlapping run from the left- back.
All in all, it is a difficult test that awaits Rangers at Ibrox. Galatasaray are packed to the rafters with players who have turned out for the continent’s biggest clubs but more than a few are past their prime. If Rangers can turn their relatively youthful nature to their advantage, if they can nullify the creative outlets in midfield and if both full- backs can be brave in attacking phases then they’ll have a chance. And given the calibre of their opponents tomorrow night, there isn’t too much more Gerrard could ask for.