Rangers vs Panathinaikos: Russell Martin insists Champions League qualifier will not be ‘season-defining’ | Football News
The Rangers head coach Russell Martin plays the importance of their qualification in the Champions League against Panathinaikos, insisting that this is not a “decisive” match.
They welcome the side of Greece in Ibrox Tuesday evening in what will be Martin’s first competition game since he took care of, with the return to Athens on July 30.
The victory will see them confront the Czech side Viktoria Plzen or the holding of Swiss outfit during the third qualification round, while they will pass to the qualification of the Europa League if they lose.
Thelo Aasgaard is a doubt for the Rangers after a pre-season injury
“It will not be a decisive game of the season, this is not the case. So it’s a really, really big game,” he said while confirming the new signature that Thelo Aasgaard is the only doubt for the match.
“A season is a long season, it will be defined by what we will do here in May.
“You can develop it so that it is a big game. Each game for the Rangers is a big match, each game is a must.
“But it is not final, the team will be very different in four or five weeks, I am convinced of this.
“The team we have now, the team we have now, we need to put a performance that looks like us, we look like, and that we can build and finally win the game.”
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Captain of Rangers James Tavernier has been expressed since the first time since Russell Martin took care of, because he also looks at their qualification in the Champions League against Panathinaikos
Martin made seven new signatures this summer and is still wishing to add to his team before their first Scottish Première match in Motherwell on August 2, Live on Sky Sports.
Nasser Djiga and Max Aarons joined the club on loan from Wolves and Bournemouth, with Djeidi Gassama, Emmanuel Fernandez, Joe Rothwell, Thelo Aasgaard and Lyall Cameron respectively accepting permanent offers.
“I am excited about this, I look forward to the match. The players should, with the work they have done for four weeks, be really excited by this game now,” added the former boss of Southampton.
“In terms of preparation, work, physically, tactically, of the link between the way we work, I was so satisfied with the four weeks, but it’s not long.
Max Aarons could make his debut to competitive rangers against Panathinaikos
“I think that tomorrow will be a very big test for us to see how much we are and see how much work we have to do.
“It is the most interesting and exciting song for us as coaches, is that tomorrow we will learn a lot about the group and will learn a lot about what we need to prioritize the future in the coming weeks.”
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