Glasgow Rangers turn their attention back to Champions League action tonight as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men bid to qualify for the group stages.
The Ibrox side head into the game off the back of a 4-0 win in the Premiership last weekend and should be full of confidence.
They host Dutch outfit PSV in Glasgow before facing them away from home in the second leg next week and the Light Blues will surely be hoping to take a strong lead with them to the Netherlands.
One change the head coach must make to the team is unleashing Welsh midfielder Tom Lawrence from the start after using him as a substitute at the weekend.
Joshua Barrie claimed that he made a “real impact” in the second leg clash against Union Saint Gilloise to help the Gers overcome a 2-0 deficit last week to make the next qualifying round.
He then came off the bench against St. Johnstone on Saturday and managed to score a goal in just 23 minutes on the pitch for the Gers. Scott Wright, meanwhile, failed to create a single chance or register a shot on goal in 66 minutes out on the right wing, and is yet to manage a goal or assist in three league starts this season.
Journalist Josh Bunting, earlier this month, said that Lawrence has the potential to “do some damage“, because of how direct he is, and his statistics since arriving in Scotland back that up.
The former Derby man, who has been hailed as a “fabulous talent” in the past by his former manager Gary Bowyer, created five chances in his first two Premiership starts, whilst winning 13 duels and registering one assist. This shows that he has the creativity to unlock defences to create opportunities for his teammates.
This could be particularly useful in a tense Champions League qualifier with plenty at stake for both teams as they attempt to play their way into the riches of Europe’s premier competition.
The £27k-per-week gem could be the player van Bronckhorst needs to play the final killer pass or to break into the box to score for himself, given that he has shown that he can do both in the early parts of his Gers career.
Therefore, Lawrence must come in for the underperforming Wright. He can play in the midfield three, or in a number 10 role, with Malik Tilmann moving into a wide position.
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