Union Saint Gilloise boss Karel Geraerts has tapped into his Celtic and Rangers links as he ramps up preparations for their Champions League third qualifying round clash.
The Belgian side welcome Gio van Bronckhorst and his team for the first leg on Tuesday as they hope to continue their fairytale rise to the top of the European game after coming close to lifting the Belgian title last term. They grabbed their first win of the new domestic campaign against Charleroi on Friday as they prepare to get their European campaign under way.
With just hours until the kick-off at the Joseph Marien Stadium in the crucial Champions League qualifier Geraerts has tapped into his connections in Glasgow to get the lowdown on last season's Europa League finalists. One-time Celtic goalkeeper Logan Bailly, now goalkeeping coach at USG, and former Ibrox midfielder Thomas Buffel have been happy to give a rundown on what the Belgian Pro League side can expect on Tuesday night.
Speaking to Nieuwsblad ahead of the first leg, Geraerts said: “They gave me some information. Make no mistake, Rangers don't play classic Scottish football with lots of long balls.
"It is a team that tries to build up and plays very offensive football. And of course they have a lot of strong players, like (Rabbi) Matondo, who we know from Cercle. I have asked my boys to start every match with the conviction to win. It's no different now. Most only know Rangers from television or the Champions League, but tomorrow all of that should have no impact.
"It is now up to us to stand there. We have enforced these preliminary rounds ourselves, there is no need to be afraid. My players don't have stage fright. I think it could be a great European night.”
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