Rangers' second-round showdown with Bayer Leverkusen at Ibrox tonight is spiced by the fact that the teams are their country's last remaining representatives in the competition. Rangers, hold a 2-1 advantage and should start favourites.
Ulf Kirsten, the multi-capped striker who missed the first leg because of injury, returned to Leverkusen's ranks last Friday and scored a hat-trick in their 8-2 away win against Borussia Monchengladbach. Rangers' coach Dick Advocaat, who saw the victory, played it down. "I don't think it's a great boost for them," he said. "Monchengladbach were a very poor team."
Jonatan Johansson and Arthur Numan have recovered from injury and will probably start for Rangers and, despite the fans' disapproval of the central defender Lorenzo Amoruso, Advocaat insisted yesterday that he would play. Rangers expect to complete the signing of the French striker Stephane Guivarc'h from Newcastle tomorrow and he will be at Ibrox to watch tonight's match.
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