Lyon ace Xherdan Shaqiri has told the Daily Record he would be doing Rangers injustice by only focusing on the ‘intense’ atmosphere their fans create ahead of the Europa League tie.
Steven Gerrard’s Gers host Shaqiri’s Ligue 1 side at Ibrox on Thursday night to kick off their Group Stage campaign. Rangers sealed their place in the UEFA competition after beating Alashkert in the play-offs. While Lyon finished fourth in the French top-flight last season.
Lyon underwent a change in leadership over the off-season with Peter Bosz brought in to replace Rudi Garcia. But the Dutch tactician is still searching for the key to unlocking Les Gones’ full potential. Taking two wins and two draws in five league fixtures so far this term.
Lyon appear to have turned a corner with their performances after winning their last two Ligue 1 games. But Shaqiri – who moved to the Groupama Stadium from Liverpool for €6m (£5m) this summer – knows the Auvergne-Rhine-Alpes region side are in for a tough test.
Shaqiri expects Rangers’ supporters will deliver an intense atmosphere for Lyon’s visit to Ibrox on Thursday. But Gers fans will only be half the job Bosz’s side must overcome, as Gerrard’s men will not give his French outfit an easy ride in the Europa League affair.
“Rangers and their stadium is known, and I don’t think we can expect an easy evening,” Shaqiri said. “The atmosphere will be intense – but it doesn’t do them justice to just talk about the intensity of the fans. Rangers are champions, they have some real quality, and it will be a big test for us.”
Rangers must deal with Shaqiri threat vs Lyon in Europa League
While Shaqiri points to the challenges Rangers will pose on Thursday night, Gerrard must also deal with the threat the Lyon ace represents. He produced an assist on debut for Les Gones against Strasbourg on Sunday to help Bosz oversee a 3-1 win.
The 29-year-old – who has 96-caps for Switzerland – has also faced some of Europe’s elite and performed well against them. Shaqiri has one assist in two outings against Barcelona, two goals and three assists in meetings with Manchester United, two assists in 10 games against Man City and one assist in nine career meetings with Chelsea in all competitions.
Lyon appear to be finding their feet under Bosz now, too, so Rangers will likely have their work cut out against Shaqiri and co when they meet in the Europa League on Thursday.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
