Rangers' Giovanni van Bronckhorst: "What I had as a player I also have as a coach"

Giovanni van Bronckhorst believes his experience at the highest level as a player will benefit his Rangers players heading into their Europa League semi-final against RB Leipzig.

The Gers will travel to Germany for the first leg on Thursday before playing host to the German outfit in a weeks' time for the reverse fixture.

Rangers will be competing in their first European semi-final since 2008, when they went on to reach the UEFA Cup final, and former Arsenal and Barcelona defender Van Bronckhorst has stated that preparation is key if they wish to advance to the Europa League final this year.

"Of course playing a European semi-final is exciting but we have to overcome a tough team, we have watched Leipzig play a lot of games and are well prepared. There are still two games to be played against a tough opponent and we will do everything we can to be in the final," the Dutchman told reporters on Wednesday.

Van Bronckhorst – who won the 2005-06 Champions League with Barcelona – added: "What I had as a player I also have as a coach. You have to block all the media and noise and concentrate on your preparation and your performance, this is what the players have to do. Once the whistle goes give it everything you have.

"We concentrate on our own game, for every team still involved in Europe it is demanding on the squad. Leipzig are a very well organised team, they have a lot of threats. We have to prepare well.

"The confidence is there but we know we have to perform again. I am very confident in my team. We are now in the final weeks of the season and will give everything we can to be successful in Europe."

Van Bronckhorst has also revealed that he has a strategy in place to combat the absence of injured strikers Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe, stating: "Morelos and Roofe are not available and I have made my plans after watching the opponent playing.

"I will choose the right gameplan and we need the players to perform well. We have no fresh injuries, we have the [same] squad available from Motherwell."

Zambian forward Fashion Sakala is seemingly the most likely player to start down the middle for Rangers on Wednesday.