Former Barcelona coach Ernesto has revealed that Athletic Bilbao will pay extra attention to Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers when they play Rangers in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League quarterfinal clash on Thursday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Rangers will be looking to get a first-leg advantage when they welcome Bilbao to Ibrox Stadium to take on Athletic Bilbao in the quarterfinals of the Europa League.
Both teams look evenly matched going into the fixture, and the game could eventually be decided by very fine margins.
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Going into the game, Athletic Bilbao's coach is very wary of the threat that Rangers pose. Although the Gers have conceded a lot of goals this season, they have shown that they can hold their own at clutch moments.
Super Eagles star Dessers and Vaclav Cerny have been the major outlets for Rangers this season, as they have registered 22 and 17 goals across all competitions this season. And Valverde admits that they are the players to watch.
“They’ve got a good team. They move well across the pitch, very fast,” Valverde said, per Rangers Review.
“A lot of modes of play. Hit us on counter attacks. Players like Dessers and Cerny, who can play well. They can compete with any team, and it is only three years since they reached the final. A big challenge playing in a stadium like this in the quarter-final.”
The Gers have picked results against Fenerbahce, Royale Union SG, Tottenham, and Nice. So they have a good shot at claiming the vital three points.
Can Cyriel Dessers be the difference-maker for Rangers?
Cyriel Dessers has been in decent form since the start of the year. He and Cerny have been the Gers' major outlets.
He will likely start against Athletics Bilbao. And with their home advantage, they could score. Bilbao is a very difficult team to beat, but if Rangers turn up with their A-game, they will likely get the win.
It is important that Rangers win by a decent margin at Ibrox because playing the second leg at Estadio San Mames.
