Europa League

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Europa League Qualifying | Third Qualifying Round

Aug 16, 2018 at 7.15pm UK

Maribor
0-0
Rangers Rangers

Steven Gerrard: 'Rangers will not sit back against Maribor'

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter | 15 August 2018

Steven Gerrard insists that Rangers have no intention of sitting on their first-leg lead against Maribor in the second leg of their Europa League third-round qualifier.

Steven Gerrard has stressed that Rangers will not just "sit back" despite their 3-1 lead over Maribor in the second leg of their Europa League third-round qualifier.

Alfredo Morelos, James Tavernier and Lassana Coulibaly scored in last week's first leg at Ibrox for a healthy advantage ahead of Thursday's decider at the Ljudski Vrt.

Maribor, however, scored an away goal through Mitja Viler, prompting Gerrard to state that his team will not rest on their laurels in Slovenia.

"At some point Maribor are going to have to take some risks and I will pick a team with enough attacking talent to hopefully go and hurt them," the Gers boss told BBC Sport.

"This is not a case of us coming here to hang on and try to grind through the 90 minutes in order to get over the line.

"I have no doubt we will create chances. The challenge for the players is can we go and take an important one? Can someone within our setup get that very important goal?

"This is an opportunity to show we're a team that's moving forward, a team that is growing, that has confidence. So I want my players to play as big players, as a big team tomorrow and show we're a threat away in Europe."

Gerrard will be without the suspended Jon Flanagan for the encounter, while new signing Borna Barisic is ineligible.