Giovanni van Bronckhorst makes 'best Liverpool team'…

Giovanni van Bronckhorst makes 'best Liverpool team' claim ahead of Rangers clash

Giovanni van Bronckhorst is adamant his Rangers side won't be duped by Liverpool's indifferent form as he prepares to face a "great side".

The Reds meet the Scottish Premiership outfit for the first time a competitive match when they clash in the Champions League group stage on Tuesday evening.

Rangers have yet to gain a point having lost 4-0 at Ajax and 3-0 at home to Napoli, but go into the game on the back of successive league wins over Dundee United and Saturday's thumping 4-0 triumph at Hearts.

While Liverpool responded to a 4-1 defeat at Napoli by beating Ajax at home, their struggling start to the season was underlined by a 3-3 home Premier League draw to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday that has left them 11 points behind early leaders Arsenal.

But former Gunners midfielder Van Bronckhorst - who led Rangers to the Europa League final last season - says his charges must be ready for an Anfield whirlwind from Jurgen Klopp's side.

“Of course there are always things to exploit, any team has those areas you can exploit," he said on Monday. "Although they didn't have a good result last Saturday, we are still going to prepare against a good Liverpool team.

"They have all the strengths to perform at this level. Form means nothing, they have a good team and a fantastic coach. We are preparing for the best Liverpool team tomorrow. They have been in three finals in the last five years and are still one of the best teams in Europe. Of all our opponents we faced last season and this season, probably this is the best side.

“It is a huge podium for us to perform. It is many years since there has been a Scottish team playing against an English team, it is the first time we have faced each other so there are a lot of good things to look forward to."

When asked if the lack of consistent form from both Rangers and Liverpool this season makes it uncertain to know what to expect on Tuesday, Van Bronckhurst said: "It will be a good game then! Maybe that's the beauty of football. Form is temporary and it can change in one game.

“Liverpool are used to performing at this level, for us it has been a huge test for the last couple of years but we embrace the challenge. The pressure is also on us, we still want to be involved in Europe after the World Cup. It's a hard place to come, we are going to face a huge challenge."

Rangers will be without the suspended United States international James Sands, who was sent off against Napoli, while Welsh forward Tom Lawrence has been ruled out for several months after picking up an injury in training.

Antonio-Mirko Colak, scorer of four goals in his last two outings, is expected to lead the attack ahead of Alfredo Morelos, with former Liverpool winger Ryan Kent also slated to start.

And Van Bronckhurst added: “Obviously we are really proud we are back in the Champions League, it means you will face good teams and good players so of course it is a motivation to perform at this level - not only for Ryan but for me as a coach as well."

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