Live match preview – Rangers vs Braga 14.04.2022

Aaron Ramsey insists he is “feeling good” as he looks to make an impact on Rangers’ season run-in – starting against Braga on Thursday.

Ramsey, who signed on loan from Juventus in the January transfer window, has had a slow start to his time at Ibrox as he took time to build fitness.

But ahead of the Europa League quarter-final second-leg clash against Braga at Ibrox on Thursday night – the Light Blues are 1-0 down from the first game in Portugal – the Wales midfielder revealed his determination to make up for lost time.

He said: “Obviously we’ve had a bit of a plan for me over the last few weeks.

“It’s gone along pretty well so hopefully now I can play a part in this game and show what I’m capable of doing by helping the team to progress to the next round.

“I’m feeling good. The thing that I’ve been lacking over the last few years is consistency. I can still produce the numbers required and what I used to do.

“There are no issues with that, it’s just about getting that consistency going and getting into a bit of a rhythm. Over the last few weeks I’ve felt better and felt stronger.

“Now these games are coming thick and fast, hopefully I can play big parts in these games and show what I’m capable of doing.”

Ramsey played in the earlier rounds of Arsenal’s 2019 Europa League campaign but injury kept him out of the final defeat to Chelsea in Baku.

He said: “We’re in the quarter-final of the Europa League so it’s huge for us.

“We have the opportunity to progress. Personally I would love to go all the way and win this competition, as will all the other players and the fans and everyone.

“If we are all on board together and heading in the same direction, I’m sure we can make this a special campaign.”

As well as their quest for European success, Rangers face Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday, and currently sit six points behind their Old Firm rivals at the top of the Premiership with five fixtures remaining.

Ramsey is not giving up on anything and said: “I came here to win. To have the opportunity to play and show what I am capable of doing.

“But the main thing was that we’re in three competitions and we want to be successful in all of them.

“There is pressure on you here. I’ve been in clubs under this kind of pressure before and that’s what I enjoy. Hopefully we can make it a successful season.”

Van Bronckhorst confirms Helander blow

Rangers defender Filip Helander is out for the rest of the season with a foot injury. The Swede had to come off in the first half of Sunday’s Premiership win over St Mirren in Paisley.

Boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst is uncertain whether surgery is required but confirmed Helander – who is not in the Govan side’s Europa League squad – will not be back until the summer.

“Filip’s injury is not good, so we don’t have him for the remainder of the season,” said the Dutchman.

“He has had a history of injuries – unfortunately for him, and unfortunately for us to not be able to pick him.

“I don’t know yet if he needs surgery but he has a foot injury, an injury he had as well in the other foot, so all I can say now is we are going to make sure he is going to be ready for pre-season next season.”

Opta stats

• The first leg was the third meeting between these two sides in Europe, and the first time Rangers were defeated by Braga, having won the previous two meetings in 2019-20. It was the ninth time that Rangers have been defeated in the first leg of a knockout tie in the UEFA Cup/Europa League, advancing in two of the previous three such instances (vs Marítimo in 2004-05 and Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2006-07).
• Braga have progressed from their previous nine ties in the UEFA Cup/Europa League when winning the first leg, with eight of those previous nine wins coming in home matches. Indeed, Braga have played more two-legged major UEFA European knockout ties without being eliminated after winning the first leg than any other team in history (10 – 9 in the UEFA Cup/Europa and one in the Cup Winners’ Cup).
• In the first leg, Rangers failed to direct a single shot on target in a major European game for the first time since November 2009, against Stuttgart in the Champions League.
• Braga (0.53) and Rangers (0.54) combined for a total expected goals figure of only 1.07 in the first leg, the joint-lowest total in any UEFA Europa League match this season along with Monaco vs PSV in November.
• Rangers midfielder Aaron Ramsey has scored six goals in 12 starts in the UEFA Europa League, all for Arsenal between 2018 and 2019. His last home start in the competition saw him net the opener against Napoli in the quarter-finals in 2018-19.