CONNOR GOLDSON is confident Rangers will rise to the occasion when they face Braga in the Europa League knockout rounds.
Steven Gerrard’s side booked their place in the last 32 after finishing second in Group G behind Porto in a section that also included Feyenoord and Young Boys.
Now they host another Primeira Liga outfit on Thursday as they look to take a positive result into the second leg in Portugal next midweek.
Rangers have produced some of their finest performances of the campaign in European action this term and Goldson is determined to hit the heights once again.
“I think it will be a great occasion for the football club,” he told the Rangers Matchday Programme. “It was a big positive for us to get out of the group, a very tough group as well, and I think we showed everyone what we are capable of.
“Now, we go into the knockout stages and as we know anything can happen. I feel like when the draw was made everyone looked at Braga and thought it was a great chance for us to go through.
“But when you look at their results recently, they’ve been playing really well and picking up results against top sides.
“My dad rang me as soon as the draw was made and told me that they are a good side. He watched them both home and away against Wolves so has told me a little bit about them.
“You just have to look at their results and not just in the Europa League. They have beaten Porto twice and Sporting Lisbon as well so they will be full of confidence, but we know in this competition that whoever we play against it’s a tough tie for them to come to Ibrox with our fans and our stadium.
“The atmosphere will be electric and it’s a tough place for any team to come to, as we’ve shown over the last two years.
“Playing Porto gave us a little bit of taste of playing against a team in that league but, at the same time, every team is different and we know that.
“Braga are going to have to come to Ibrox first and I’m sure they won’t relish that. We just need to make sure we go into the away leg with a victory.”
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