Former Rangers star Lee McCulloch has admitted that the Gers’ strong performances away from home in Europe this season will give them hope ahead of their crunch meeting with Rapid Vienna.
The Light Blues have slipped to second in the Scottish Premiership table after dropping five points from their last two league games, against Aberdeen and bottom-placed Dundee, respectively.
Despite going off the boil in the league in recent weeks, Rangers will be aiming to extend their involvement in Europe beyond Christmas by booking their place in the knockout stages of the Europa League.
However, Steven Gerrard’s men will have to register nothing short of a win against Rapid Vienna on Thursday if they are to stand a chance of qualifying for the next round from Group G.
McCulloch, who played a part for Rangers during the UEFA Cup final in 2008, thinks that the Gers are in a good position to win at Rapid Vienna due to their strong performances away from home in Europe this term.
The former Ger also added that Rangers will be boosted by the return of both Scott Arfield and Alfredo Morelos, while also stressing that they were comfortable winners over Rapid Vienna at Ibrox.
“Rangers can still bounce back, beat Rapid Vienna over in Austria and go through to the last 32 of the Europa League”, McCulloch wrote in his column for the Evening Times.
“They will have both Scott Arfield and Alfredo Morelos back and I think they will help the Ibrox club to get the result they need and go through.
“Playing Rapid away won’t be easy, but I think that Rangers have given good accounts of themselves on the road in Europe this year and can definitely do it.
“They were brilliant against Villarreal in Spain in their first Group G game and played well in spells against Spartak in Moscow.
“They were also comfortably the better team against Rapid at Ibrox back in October.
“It promises to be quite a night.
"I am sure it is an occasion the Rangers players and their army of supporters will rise to.”
Rangers are currently third in Group G of the Europa League after securing six points from their five games in the competition.
