Super Eagles defender Leon Balogun has urged his Rangers teammates to be at their best when they face José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe in the Europa League last-16 second-leg clash.
Rangers secured an impressive result in the first leg, putting themselves in a strong position to progress.
However, with Mourinho at the helm, Balogun expects a tactical battle in the return leg and believes Rangers must be prepared for a tough challenge.
Balogun: “It’s Far from Over”
While the Scottish side had the weekend off, Balogun has emphasized the importance of maintaining focus and delivering a top performance on Thursday.
Speaking to Sky Sports, as reported by Daily Record, the Nigerian defender described the upcoming fixtures as a defining period for the club.
“It’s a big week with two perfect fixtures. Obviously, Fenerbahçe is first up, and we had a very good result over there, but we’re going against the Special One with some very good players, and I think it’s far from over.”
Mourinho, a multiple-time European champion, is known for his ability to turn ties around in crucial moments. Despite this, Balogun stressed that Rangers must stay focused and take things one step at a time.
“I can only speak for myself, but it really is like that (one game at a time). I don’t think about the weekend so much. Obviously, it is there, but those games are always big!”
Rangers produced a strong performance in the first leg, but Balogun is well aware that Mourinho will not take the defeat lightly and will have a plan to turn things around.
“It was a really good result and performance,” Balogun admitted. “But like I said, this is Mourinho, and I’m sure he will have a few tricks up his sleeve. He wouldn’t have been happy at all after the tie over there.”
After the Fenerbahçe clash, Rangers will face Celtic in the highly anticipated Old Firm derby on Sunday.
However, Balogun remains adamant that their sole focus must be on overcoming the challenge in Turkey before thinking ahead to domestic matters.
A place in the Europa League quarter-finals is within reach, but Rangers must brace themselves for a fierce battle against Mourinho’s men.
