Rangers’ impressive Europa League campaign faces a ‘make or break’ task this Thursday as they head to Old Trafford to take on a beleaguered Manchester United side.
Sitting in the top eight of the 36-team table, only a point off their upcoming rivals, Phillipe Clement’s team can take a decisive step towards locking down a place in the Round of 16.
The task ahead is daunting but not unachievable by any stretch of the imagination, especially considering the current stage of the record-time Premier League winners.
Man Utd fans using VPN providers to follow live action online safely were in agony as Brighton & Hove Albion thrashed the Red Devils 3-1 last weekend, inflicting Ruben Amorim’s sixth league defeat in charge.
Downtrodden giants
United are enduring their worst season in the Premier League era.
Down to the bottom half of the standings, they’ve already waved goodbye to hopes of fighting for a European finish.
That could make them particularly dangerous in Europe, where they’ve run riot under Amorim.
Following a three-game winless Europa League start, they’ve won their last three matches in the second-tier competition, including two under the ex-Sporting CP boss.
As such, the 39-year-old could become only the third Man Utd boss to win his first three European fixtures in the dugout.
No room for fear
Despite his calmness in the media, Amorim lost his temper after Brighton tore Old Trafford apart, describing his side as ‘maybe the worst team in the history of Man Utd’ in an interview with the club’s website.
His desperation probably best illustrates the depth of the crisis in Manchester ahead of Rangers’ visit.
The Gers must not fear their opposition’s stature as they could prevent Amorim from following in the footsteps of Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson, both born and bred around Glasgow.
Like United, Rangers’ domestic season hasn’t gone according to plan.
Clement’s charges are 13 points off the top of the Scottish Premiership table, highlighting the importance of making a standout result in Europe.
High spirits
Rangers put Scottish Highland League minnows Fraserburgh to the sword last weekend, running out 5-0 victors at Ibrox to progress into the next Scottish Cup round.
That was the Gers’ third consecutive win via multi-goal margins, setting them up nicely for this mouth-watering trip south of the border.
Victories against Fraserburgh, Aberdeen and St Johnstone form part of Rangers’ morale-boosting seven-game unbeaten streak in all competitions.
Further confidence comes from the club’s recent results in Europe.
Indeed, since a dismal 4-1 home defeat to Lyon in early October, Clement’s men have alternated between drawing and winning in their last four league-phase outings.
Ominous signs
The last result in that sequence was a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at Ibrox.
Another stalemate wouldn’t necessarily be an underachievement, given Rangers’ unenviable away record against English opposition.
Except for a 2-1 win against Leeds United in 1992, the Gers have lost five of their remaining seven matches on English soil, drawing the other two.
Rangers’ recent record on the road doesn’t bode well, with Clement’s side going winless in four consecutive away games since early December.
As if that’s not concerning enough, they’ve never scored against Man Utd across four previous attempts.
Time to flip the script
Bereft of confidence, the Red Devils are a shadow of the once-fiercest force in European football.
With the glory days of Sir Alex long gone and his successors tarnishing his legacy, chaos reigns at Old Trafford.
Rangers’ recent form suggests they could pour more misery on Amorim and rewrite club history in the process.
Danilo and Hamza Igamane could have a field day against United’s porous backline as history beckons for Clement’s troops.
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