Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst is hopeful for a positive result when they take on Liverpool in the Champions League. The cross-border rivals of Liverpool are now ranked second in the Scottish Premiership, two points behind Celtic of Glasgow. The Gers thrashed Hearts 4-0 to prepare for their journey to Merseyside, but they were defeated at home by Napoli 3-0 in their penultimate European match, leaving them still without a point in the Champions League after 12 years. Liverpool and Rangers will play one other for the first time in European competition on Tuesday. The Reds last faced Scottish opponents in the European Cup in 1980–81, when they defeated Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen.
“Since we are pointless, we are aware of the challenge we will face tomorrow against a very strong team,” Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst said. “We seek an outcome. We must take that action. We must, of course, examine ourselves. Our goal in coming here is to obtain a successful outcome. That must always be our goal. It will be really challenging. It is a team that has excelled in the Premier League. In the previous five years, they have appeared in three finals.”
The latest injury to winger Tom Lawrence, who was brought in from Derby in the summer and had three goals in five outings before being sidelined, has caused the Rangers manager to face one of the biggest difficulties of his Ibrox tenure. The 28-year-old Welshman had been dealing with a knee condition that had kept him out since August, but Van Bronckhorst stated that he had now developed a fresh problem. John Lundstram, a midfielder for Rangers, believes that facing his childhood idols Liverpool in the Champions League will be a great moment for him, but he is only providing tickets to family members who are prepared to attend Anfield and support the Ibrox team.
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