Former Rangers and Lyon defender Seb Faure has warned the French side to expect a “big atmosphere” at Ibrox tonight when the pair meet in the Europa League – with Faure tipping the Ligue 1 stalwarts to come out on top tonight if they can match Rangers’ intensity.
Faure had stints playing for both clubs earlier in his career but never got to sample a European night at Ibrox after leaving Rangers in 2015 while the Gers were still in the Championship.
The Frenchman believes Rangers will be Lyon’s toughest opposition in a group also containing Brondy and Sparta Prague, warning his countrymen to expect a noisy night in Glasgow’s southside, telling Olympique et Lyonnais: “A big atmosphere, right from the start.
“Any European game at Ibrox is very complicated to play and they love to rub shoulders with European teams. Lyon is considered a big team from the Old Continent over there, a team that should play in the Champions League with a big squad, a lot of money, a big stadium.
“OL will be very well received with a very, very strong atmosphere in the first 30-40 seconds.
There will be a lot of noise.
“Rangers will be Lyon’s toughest opponents because they have to go and play at Ibrox and that’s not easy.
“I think the other two teams in the group (Sparta Prague and Brondby) are more easy to deal with but going away to them won’t be easy either.
“Clearly, Lyon are favourites. They have better players, they have a better team, a better collective.
“But away matches in Europe are always quite complex, especially at Ibrox.
“OL will have to match the intensity Rangers will bring.
“They will be pushed on by their fans and they will be 150 per cent from the first to the 95th minute. If there is not the same intensity (from Lyon), they won’t be able to play out and it will not be possible to impose their game.
“If the Lyonnais get beaten in the duels, Rangers will get a big psychological boost while the opposition risk playing on their heels.
“Rangers are going to be a team that will really go at OL.”
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