MICHAEL Beale is looking for energy and quality from his side as the UEFA Europa League group stage begins against Real Betis tomorrow evening.
The La Liga side are the visitors to Ibrox as Group C kicks-off, and Beale believes the opening game provides a good opportunity for his squad to get up and running in front of the Ibrox crowd.
Speaking to the media at this afternoon’s pre-match press conference, Beale said: “What is most important is that we go and take the game and we play with energy and with quality.
“We are playing against a very good team, if you look at their front four, they are very dangerous and they have good players in midfield. It will be a good game, it is a great game for us to challenge ourselves but it is a big opportunity to get this group up and running.
“After this we have two away games and away games in Europe are difficult so looking at the level of this group, I think this is going to go to the fifth or sixth game for everyone involved. It is important that as the games go by we build up enough points to ensure that we are qualifying for the latter stages of the competition.”
When asked about his ambitions for his team in Europe this season, Beale said they will take it one game at a time as they aim to progress from the group.
He explained: “We need to get out of the group and take it as we go. It is one game at a time, it is a good group that we are in, two teams that won their championship last year obviously Real Betis were sixth in La Liga.
“They have shown their pedigree in the competition, and I think they have recruited well in the summer, so it is a competitive group, but we are expecting to get out of it.
“The core of this team have re-established the club in Europe after a few years of not being in the competition and there have been some big nights home and away. This year, we are going to have to show that again to make up for last year and even for the qualifying performance away at PSV that hurt us.
“The fans will be behind the team, they have shown it every week and I thought they were excellent at St Johnstone at the weekend. I think they want to see their team go after Real Betis and we will do that as best we can.
“They are a good side, we have to be careful with some of their attacking players but most importantly tomorrow we want to be coming off that pitch and talking about Rangers players that is the aim for everybody, it is a real high-quality game, I am looking forward to it.”
Beale provided an update on his squad, with Nico Raskin unavailable having picked up a calf injury during the weekend’s match against St Johnstone.
He added: “The injuries to Danilo, Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin are not ideal, they are three important players but there is a bit of good news around Kieran Dowell. We are hoping he will be back after the Livingston game and into the game against Aberdeen, so we get another number back there.
“We still had 20 senior players today and we have obviously got one or two of the Academy players that we have got eyes on who have got a real bright future so this might be an opportunity for them in domestic games to step up as well.
“The reason Cifuentes never played at the weekend is that he didn't arrive back until the Friday morning from South America and had played at altitude, so he is ready to go, Ryan Jack is there as well so it doesn't change in terms of us having options in midfield. Obviously, Nico has been playing and was probably one of our stronger performers at the weekend so in that sense we are losing a good player but we have a good one coming in.”
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