Barcelona striker Thierry Henry believes Rangers will go through to the knockout stages of the Champions League after they held the Spanish side to a goalless draw on Tuesday night.
As a result, Barcelona and Rangers top Group E at the half way stage, with seven points each.
The Scottish side were expected to struggle in the group that also includes German champions Stuttgart and French champions Lyon.
However, following wins in each of their first two games, and a draw against Barca, Rangers are in a strong position to qualify from the group.
It's an opinion shared by Thierry Henry.
"Why not?" said the Frenchman. "I don't know how the game is going to be at our place but I think Rangers have what it takes to also win in Stuttgart and the decisive game could be here against Lyon."
If Rangers beat Stuttgart later this month, they're likely to only need a draw from their home game with Lyon to advance to the knockout stage.
Henry explained: "If it goes like it is right now, Lyon would have to come here and win with a big scoreline. To be honest, although I am French, I don't see that happening here. You have to give Rangers credit. They fought very hard, they are top of the group with ourselves and they deserve to be where they are."
23 October 2007
Rangers boss Walter Smith believes that if his side go into tonight's Champions league tie against Barcelona looking for a draw, they'll lose.
Rangers have enjoyed a bountiful return to the Champions League, getting maximum points from their first two games against Lyon and Stuttgart.
Scottish football and groups of death seem so intrinsically linked of late that it's little wonder that Barcelona completes the Group E line-up.
In form Rangers now face the Spanish giants at Ibrox, and although a draw would inch Walter Smith's side closer to qualification to the knockout stages, he feels that looking for a draw would be the wrong option.
"We don't go into it looking for a draw, I think that would be a dangerous thing with Barcelona," Smith told Sky Sports.
"It would imply that, in many ways, that you would have to do the majority of the defending and hope you get the draw. I don't think that should be the case against them because if we do that we will lose the game."
If Rangers are to do the unexpected, they'll have to do it Jean-Claude Darcheville and Brahim Hemdani for the fixture, and Smith accepts the duo will be missed.
The Gers boss added: "Both players have acquitted themselves really well in the games they've played so far in the Champions League. So it's a little blow that we've lost them as one or two of the players we are bringing in don't have that range of experience."
23 October 2007
Lyon midfielder Jeremy Toulalan has been ruled out of Tuesday's Champions League match at Stuttgart.
Toulalan, 24, has pulled a knee ligament and is due to undergo a scan on Wednesday.
Doctors estimate that he could be sidelined for around two weeks.
22 October 2007
Lyon stopper Sebastien Squillaci is eager to atone for consecutive 3-0 Champions League defeats at the hands of first Barcelona and then Rangers.
The 27 year old told UEFA.com, "We know that if we want to qualify then we need to win both matches against Stuttgart. We knew this group would be difficult from the outset and already we've made it very difficult for ourselves, so it's up to us to make up for what we couldn't manage previously."
Indeed, the 3-0 loss at Barcelona wasn't much of a surprise, but being buried at home 3-0 by Rangers came as a massive shock.
Squillaci maintains that the result did not adequately reflect the balance of play.
"Rangers hadn't even had a shot on goal when they won that corner, and our poor marking gave them a goal," he wailed.
"We were 1-0 down against a team that defended in numbers. We couldn't find a way back and ended up being punished for needless errors. At this level of football, everyone knows that you can't get away with mistakes, and Rangers proved it."
Many feel that Lyon are weaker than in seasons past, with this being to blame for their poor start to the Ligue 1 campaign and continued European difficulties.
"True enough, we've lost some players of real pedigree, which has made things more difficult," agreed the ex-Monaco man.
"We've got some great players still, but they need time. For an old example, there's [Florent] Malouda. When he arrived here he needed time to settle but, when he did, he had some amazing seasons, so perhaps we just need patience. We need to play together to gel and find our rhythm, so we need time. But with a club like Lyon, you don't have six months to find your feet!"
Squillaci signed on at the Stade Gerland from the Monegasques in 2006, having previously served Ajaccio and Toulon.
15 October 2007
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Diego has been voted player of the 2006/07 season in a ballot of players from Germany's top three divisions.
The Brazilian got 31.4 percent of the vote, ahead of VfB Stuttgart's Mario Gomez (12.1 percent) and Bayer Leverkusen's Bernd Schneider (10.2 percent), the professional soccer players' association announced.
Striker Miroslav Klose won the honour the previous season with 64 percent of the votes.
08 October 2007
Romania boss Victor Piturca is down to the bare bones in some positions as he prepares his Romania side to face the Netherlands and Luxembourg in the Euro 2008 qualifiers.
A host of defensive injuries have left Victor Piturca reeling as he calls together his Romania squad to meet the Netherlands in Constanta and Luxembourg away from home.
Cosmin Contra and Mirel Radoi are definitely out, while Cristian Chivu and Gabriel Tamas are doubtful after injuries sustained for Inter and Celta Vigo (respectively) at the weekend.
What's more, 'keeper Danut Coman is injured, as are Razvan Cocis, Ianis Zicu and Recreativo's Laurentiu Rosu have been left out to recover from their respective afflictions.
There are some unusual names in the squad - George Ogararu and Florin Bratu, for example - but the Tricolorii are confident of picking up a vital win over the Netherlands to cement top spot in Group G.
Defenders: George Ogararu (AFC Ajax), Petre Marin (FC Steaua Bucureşti), Gabriel Tamas (AJ Auxerre), Dorin Goian (FC Steaua Bucureşti), Cristian Chivu (FC Internazionale Milano), Marius Marcel Constantin (FC Rapid Bucureşti), Razvan Rat (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Stefan Radu (FC Dinamo 1948 Bucureşti).
Midfielders: Ovidiu Petre (FC Steaua Bucureşti), Andrei Margaritescu (FC Dinamo 1948 Bucureşti), Sorin Paraschiv (Rimini Calcio), Adrian Cristea (FC Dinamo 1948 Bucureşti), Nicolae Dică (FC Steaua Bucureşti), Paul Codrea (AC Siena).
Forwards: Bănel Nicoliţă (FC Steaua Bucureşti), Gheorghe Bucur (FC Politehnica 1921 Ştiinţa Timişoara), Adrian Mutu (ACF Fiorentina), Florin Bratu (FC Dinamo 1948 Bucureşti), Ciprian Marica (VfB Stuttgart), Daniel Niculae (AJ Auxerre).
05 October 2007
Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari made six changes to the Portugal squad Friday ahead of two must-win European championship qualifying games.
Scolari, who will be absent from the bench for both games because of a UEFA ban, recalled Ricardo Carvalho of Chelsea and Sporting's Tonel to bolster a defense that conceded late goals in consecutive home draws against Poland and Serbia.
The Brazilian coach dropped Juventus' Tiago Mendes and Armando Petit of Benfica to make way for midfielders Duda of Sevilla and Sporting's Miguel Velosa ahead of games at Azerbaijan on Sept. 13 and Kazakhstan on Sept. 17. Midfielder Raul Mereiles of FC Porto and Stuttgart defender Fernando Meira were also added.
Scolari earned a reduced two-month ban on Thursday for scuffling with defender Ivica Dragutinovic at the end of Portugal's 1-1 draw with Serbia on Sept. 12. Scolari is barred from the bench until Nov. 20, meaning he can return for the team's last Euro 2008 qualifier against Finland on Nov. 21, which he would have missed under an original four-match ban.
Poland leads Group A with 21 points, two ahead of Finland. Portugal is third with 17 points but has played one less game than the top two. Serbia is fourth with 16 points.
Portugal beat both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan 3-0 in the home leg.
Defenders: Miguel Monteiro (Valencia), Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea), Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea), Jose Bosingwa (FC Porto), Fernando Meira (Stuttgart), Bruno Alves (FC Porto), Tonel (Sporting)
Forwards: Hugo Almeida (Werder Bremen), Nuno Gomes (Benfica)
05 October 2007
Werder Bremen midfielders Torsten Frings and Tim Borowski are back in Germany's squad for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers against Ireland and the Czech Republic, but striker Miroslav Klose and captain Michael Ballack are still missing.
Klose has re-injured his right knee and Ballack is still recovering from an ankle operation. The Chelsea midfielder has not played since April. Klose leads the Bundesliga with eight goals for Bayern Munich.
Also missing are defenders Philipp Lahm of Bayern Munich and Christian Pander of Schalke and Stuttgart midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger.
Frings and Borowski return after missing the start of the season with knee injuries. Also back is Werder defender Clemens Fritz.
Stuttgart striker Mario Gomez is also back in the 22-man roster announced by coach Joachim Loew on Friday. Gomez missed last month's qualifier against Wales and the friendly against Romania.
Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is in the squad although he hasn't played for more than a month because of an elbow injury.
Germany leads Group D with 22 points from eight games. The Czechs have 20 points from nine games and Ireland 14, also from nine games.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Timo Hildebrand (Valencia), Jens Lehmann (Arsenal)
Defenders: Gonzalo Castro (Bayer Leverkusen), Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Manuel Friedrich (Bayer Leverkusen), Clemens Fritz (Werder Bremen), Marcell Jansen (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid)
Midfielders: Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Roberto Hilbert (Stuttgart), David Odonkor (Betis Sevilla), Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen), Bernd Schneider (Bayer Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburger SV)
Forwards: Mario Gomez (Stuttgart), Patrick Helmes (Cologne), Stefan Kiessling (Bayer Leverkusen), Kevin Kuranyi (Schalke 04), Lukas Podolski (Bayern Munich)
03 October 2007
Barcelona have confirmed Carles Puyol will be fit for Sunday's La Liga showdown with Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou.
The news is less promising for Rafael Marquez though, who is expected to be out for three weeks after suffering a calf injury in Stuttgart on Tuesday.
Barcelona won 2-0 to maintain a 100 percent record in this season's Champions League, with Puyol and Lionel Messi grabbing second half goals.
Puyol initially came on as a seventh minute replacement for Marquez, but then had to leave the field himself with a similar injury.
Barcelona have confirmed their skipper will be fine for the visit of Atletico, but Marquez will need tests to determine the length of his absence.
"He (Puyol) has strained his left calf but everything suggests he will be ready to play on Sunday," read a statement on the club's official website.
Coach Frank Rijkaard confirmed the plight of Marquez, whose absence causes Barca some problems with Gabriel Milito, Edmilson and Yaya Toure already injured.
'Marquez will undergo tests on Wednesday,' said Rijkaard.
"The injuries to Marquez and Toure mean we will have to come up with something different for the next game."
03 October 2007
Barcelona duo Carles Puyol and Rafael Marquez face spells on the sidelines after picking up knocks against Stuttgart.
The defensive pair both sustained calf injuries during Barcelona's 2-0 victory on Tuesday night
Marquez's injury is believed to be more serious that Puyol's with the Mexican facing up to a month out of action.
Barca captain Puyol's knock is less severe and he is expected to be missing for up to ten days.
The duo join Yaya Toure, Gabriel Milito, Gianluca Zambrotta and Edmilson on the casualty list and Barca coach Frank Rijkaard admitted it was blow to his plans.
"Puyol has received a hard knock, but that can happen to anyone and it doesn't look to be a muscular problem," Barcelona said Rijkaard.
"Rafa's injury is a different matter and we will just have to wait for the test results. The injuries to Marquez and Toure mean we will have to come up with something different for the next game."
