Tedesco admits German side will need to find goal at Ibrox
DOMENICO TEDESCO reckons RB Leipzig will need to score at Ibrox to secure their spot in the Europa League final next week.
The German giants will take a one-goal lead into the second leg of their semi-final showdown with Rangers following a tight encounter on Thursday night.
Defender Angelino netted the winner with just minutes to spare as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side were denied a famous draw that would have given them the edge in the tie.
Van Bronckhorst has urged the Ibrox crowd to play their part in helping the champions mount a comeback and book a place in Seville against Frankfurt or West Ham.
And his RB counterpart believes Leipzig’s narrow advantage will not be enough to guarantee progression as he looks forward to a historic night in Govan.
Tedesco said: “I’m sure [we will cope at Ibrox].
We are looking forward with happiness.
“We’ve played against Dortmund in front of 82,000. Ibrox is special and we’re happy to be there in one week.
“I think [we will need to score]. They play easy, long balls that are dangerous. These type of long balls means something can always happen.
“Free-kicks, corner-kicks. We saw against Dortmund, they were 3-0 up after 50 minutes and it ended 4-2.”
Rangers were left deflated after Angelino beat keeper Allan McGregor with a longrange effort that clinched a
narrow win for Die Roten Bullen.
The champions adopted a defensive approach during the first half as they set out to contain Leipzig and were deservedly level at the break.
A change of shape saw Van Bronckhorst utilise Joe Aribo as a forward for the second period and Rangers came close on a couple of occasions as they sought to stun their Bundesliga hosts.
It was Angelino who would have the decisive say, however, as his strike gave Leipzig the upper hand ahead of the return fixture.
And Tedesco hopes there will be two reasons for German football to celebrate as he dreams of a shoot-out with Frankfurt to lift the silverware in Seville.
Tedesco said: “A Europa League semi-final isn’t always a spectacle. If it were, I’d have set Leipzig up with a back four and more offensively to give us more space.
“We had a good second half and worked some good opportunities for ourselves. You’re not going to get many more chances.
“Rangers will have to come at us in the second leg, perhaps not right from the off, but at some point they will have to attack.
“Kevin Kampl will be available for us again; he’s very important for us and he’s proven that often.
“I’m pleased that Frankfurt also won. We want to get to the final and if it’s an all-German final, that’s even better.”