Europa League: Ferencvaros v Rangers
Venue: Ferencvaros Stadion, Budapest Date: Thursday, 11 December Kick-off: 17:45 GMT
Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio Scotland & Sounds, stay textual content commentary on the BBC Sport web site & app
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While Thursday’s Europa League encounter is verging on dead-rubber territory for Rangers, the identical can’t be mentioned for hosts Ferencvaros.
Unbeaten on this yr’s competitors, they might go an extended solution to securing a top-eight end and automated qualification for the final 16 with a victory over Rangers.
That would seal Rangers’ seemingly inevitable exit from the competitors, which one must think about could be doubly candy for the Ferencvaros head coach, former Celtic participant and boyhood supporter Robbie Keane.
Keane has been in cost since January, guiding the membership to a seventh consecutive league title and a file thirty sixth total final season after taking over from New York City-bound Pascal Jansen.
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It was not all plain crusing although. He drew two and misplaced two of his first 4 league video games in cost and it required a 13-game unbeaten run to lastly edge out Puskas Akademia by simply three factors.
This season, they cleared the path as soon as once more, however solely by two factors over Gyor as they method the halfway level of the marketing campaign.
It is their away type in Europe that catches the attention most. A 1-0 win in Genk was adopted by a 3-2 victory away to RB Salzburg and, of their final outing, they held Fenerbahce to a 1-1 draw.
All this after dropping out within the Champions League play-off round to Qarabag 5-4 on mixture.
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Add these away outcomes to a 1-1 house draw with Viktoria Plzen – having performed greater than 50 minutes with 10 males following Cebrail Makreckis’s crimson card – and a 3-1 win over Ludogorets, and they’re heading in the right direction to achieve the knockout levels.
Varga objectives central to success
Barnabas Varga has been central to Ferancvaros’ spectacular European type [Getty Images]
Central to their quest for fulfillment at house and overseas is Hungary striker Barnabas Varga.
If that title rings a bell, it would effectively be due to the terrifying second at Euro 2024 towards Scotland when he was concerned in a collision with Angus Gunn and people of us within the stadium in Stuttgart that evening, in addition to tens of millions watching at house, held our collective breath, praying he was okay as screens had been held round him whereas he acquired remedy.
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Even after he was taken off on a stretcher and brought to hospital, there was uncertainty as to his welfare. Happily, regardless of having been knocked unconscious and struggling a fractured cheekbone, he made a full restoration and stays a key determine for membership and nation.
He acquired the winner towards Genk and in addition scored within the video games towards Salzburg and Fenerbahce, having hit six in six Champions League qualifiers. Ten objectives in 15 league matches underline his significance to the staff.
Along with the expertise of Varga, former Liverpool participant Naby Keita and fellow midfielder Kristoffer Zachariassen – a survivor from the Europa League double-header with Celtic in 2021 – Ferencvaros have a few promising younger abilities who might bother Rangers.
Alex Toth, a 20-year-old central midfielder, has come by way of the ranks on the membership and has impressed sufficiently to have been given his full worldwide debut in March and now has 9 caps to his title.
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Similarly, ahead Zsombor Gruber – no relation to Hans, Die Hard followers – broke on to the worldwide scene simply previous to his transfer in the beginning of the yr from title rivals Puskas and has notched eight objectives in 14 league video games this season.
Although, curiously, he has been restricted to only 45 minutes within the Europa League, beginning the primary sport towards Viktoria Plzen.
So, as Ferencvaros and Rangers meet for the primary time for the reason that Scottish aspect emerged victorious on mixture within the 1960-61 Cup Winners’ Cup, the Hungarians have a lot purpose to consider they are going to come out on high this time round.