Brondby boss hoping to make home advantage count against Rangers

Brondby manager Niels Frederiksen believes home advantage will make his team a strong proposition against Rangers on Thursday.

The Danish champions lost 2-0 in their Europa League Group A fixture at Ibrox a fortnight ago, but their boss believes they have a far better chance of pulling off a result in front of their own fans in the rematch in Copenhagen.

He said: “If we look at the match in Glasgow, it was probably our most even European match this season. We had some chances.

“The play and the possibilities we had were quite good and we were able, in some moments at least, to control the game.

“I think it will be easier at home. We saw also in our (Champions League qualifying) games against Salzburg that there was a big difference (possession-wise) between playing home and away, so I expect that we will have good possibilities against Rangers.

“The crowd will be extremely important. Every time we play at home the fans support the boys all the way. They can help push the boys on. We have fantastic fans who are behind the boys no matter if we are in front or behind. They are extremely important for us.”

Brondby have taken only one point from their three group matches so far, prompting Rangers manager Steven Gerrard to suggest that the Danes will view victory on Thursday as essential. Frederiksen disagrees.

He said: “I heard that Gerrard said it was a ‘must-win’ game for us. I don’t see it that way. Of course we’ll try to win, but we still have two rounds to play after this match. It would be best to win, no doubt about that, but it’s not for us a ‘must-win’ game.”

Rangers have conceded the first goal in eight of their last 11 matches and Frederiksen is hopeful they can put the Scottish champions under pressure from the outset.

He said: “We will go out and be there from the first minute, 100 per cent trying to chase a goal. That will be the best way to do it. It will never be easy because Rangers are a very strong team but we will try to get the first goal.

“We haven’t scored yet in this group, but last time we played in Glasgow, it was very close.”