Rangers’ rollercoaster season has now reached a critical point, with their Europa League quarter-final second leg against Athletic Club set to decide whether their European ambitions stay alive - and Kris Boyd reckons it's going to be a nail-biting occasion.
Barry Ferguson and his team travel to the Basque Country on Thursday, hoping to build on a positive 0-0 draw from last week at Ibrox.
The first leg was a tough grind for Rangers, who had to dig deep after Robin Propper’s early sending off, and they finished the match with just nine men following a late injury to Dujon Sterling – a blow that will sideline the versatile defender long-term and further deplete Ferguson’s options ahead of the Bilbao showdown at the intimidating San Mamés Stadium.
As Rangers continue to battle for consistency this season, their Europa League campaign has become a beacon of hope for supporters who have witnessed a mix of highs and lows in domestic competition.
With the Scottish Premiership title all-but remaining with rivals Celtic for a fourth year running, Rangers' fate in Europe now feels more crucial than ever.
Boyd, speaking on Sky Sports, is confident in Rangers' chances, emphasising that by sticking to their counter-attacking style and using width, they can get the job done at San Mamés – particularly with the final also scheduled to be held at Athletic Club's iconic ground on May 21.
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He said: "Rangers have shown they can frustrate them, they are organised. Rangers have got pace on the counter-attack with [Vaclav] Cerny. You'd imagine [Mohamed] Diomande will come back in and maybe play that role in behind Cyriel Dessers, with his pace.
"I think it's important Rangers don't go long with direct balls because Athletic showed in terms of physicality, they can deal with those long balls against Dessers. It needs to be down the sides and allow Cerny, maybe Diomande as I said, or whoever plays the wing-backs.
"But Rangers will try and frustrate Athletic Club and see where that takes them. I wouldn't rule Rangers out of going through because we know they can be, well they've shown, a totally different team in Europe.
"Similar to Arsenal, they are going to have to defend first of all the first 10, 15 minutes."
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Asked for his prediction for the other quarter-final ties, Boyd was confident in his assessments.
“I think Frankfurt will beat Spurs. Spurs had a few chances last week, but Frankfurt are a strong team, and I think they'll get the job done," he stated.
"Manchester United? You just never know what you're going to get with them. Lyon were impressive at Ibrox and caused Manchester United problems, but I think United will scrape through.
"As for Rangers, I’m backing them to take Athletic Club all the way to penalties and knock them out. It’s a throwback to the days of Walter Smith, and Barry Ferguson is doing exactly that – taking it all the way to penalties and getting the job done.”
