RB Leipzig superstar Christopher Nkunku has claimed Rangers won the respect of German football by beating Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League – but that won’t stop him trying to kill off the semi final on Thursday night.
The France star, who scored a hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League and grabbed the double that beat Atalanta in the Europa League quarter final, has Gio van Bronckhorst’s side firmly in his sights.
And while the 24-year-old – who has been linked with Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal after scoring 30 goals in 46 appearances for the Bundesliga giants this term – is expecting Rangers to be formidable opponents, Nkunku is determined to end their sensational run at the last-four stage.
He said: “Dortmund has a lot of quality so for Rangers to beat them in the way they did over two games shows that they are a team with a lot of quality.
“We are in the semi-finals – if you have arrived this far in the tournament it is because you deserve to be here.
“At this stage of the season we are just looking at the next game – and we will be doing all we can to get a good result in Germany so we go to Glasgow in a good position.
“We know Rangers will have an intense atmosphere in Glasgow – but we are not even thinking about the second game.
“I expect both games to be intense – it is a big trophy to win and both teams are going to be fighting hard.
“These are the games when one moment can make the difference and I will be working hard.”
Nkunku, a graduate of the PSG academy, insisted he is in no rush to leave Leipzig despite a stampede for his signature.
He added: “When I joined Leipzig I said this move was not a stepping stone – that I came here because I believed I could win things here.
“We are close now to a European final and the dream is close – but what we do now is focus.”
