Glasgow Rangers host the La Liga side at Ibrox on Thursday in a crucial Europa League group-stage game.
Steven Gerrard’s men are gearing up for a crucial game in their group. The four teams are separated by just two points with two fixtures remaining, so a victory for the Gers would see one foot placed in the knockout stages.
Villarreal top the group and will be favourites to progress. Roberts – who has already faced the La Liga side with Girona this season and is, of course, no stranger to coming up against the Light Blues – suggested that Rangers cannot be written off at Ibrox, but insisted that it is going to be a difficult night for Gerrard’s men.
“Villarreal are an excellent team, one of the best I’ve played against,” he told The Scottish Sun. “I know we won there, but they dominated for long periods of the game.
“You never know in football. Rangers are at home and I’m sure there will be a great atmosphere. A draw would be an achievement for Rangers.”
Rangers have done extremely well to give themselves such a good chance of getting through to the knockout stages of the competition given that they started their campaign in the first qualifying round.
With Rapid Vienna ahead in their final group game, Rangers will have a huge amount of belief if they can secure a result against Villarreal that gives them a chance of progressing.
It is certainly not going to be an easy game for Gerrard’s men, as Roberts suggests. But the Gers have every reason to believe that they get the kind of result that ensures that Thursday’s clash is remembered as one of those famous European nights at Ibrox.
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