Mohamed Diomande acknowledges that Rangers is under pressure as they look to win the Europa League in Athens to build on their comeback cup victory over Motherwell.
After dropping nine points behind William Hill Premiership leaders Celtic and Aberdeen, the Light Blues and their manager Philippe Clement were under intense scrutiny heading into Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final matchup against the Steelmen at Hampden Park.
Andy Halliday, a former Rangers midfielder, gave Well the lead in the 24th minute, and the disgruntled Gers were booed harshly by their irate fans at halftime. Diomande replaced injured midfielder Tom Lawrence in the first half, but the cup winners improved significantly after the interval, and goals from attacker Nedim Bajrami and striker Cyriel Dessers set up a final matchup with Celtic on December 15.
After the pivotal Well victory, Diomande is looking forward to the challenge as Clement’s team must relax, recuperate, and get ready for Thursday night’s Europa League match against Olympiacos. They will be hoping to add to their six points from three games in the new league.
The Ivory Coast midfielder said: “There’s been a lot of pressure. Obviously, we’re not going to hide it.
“And we’ve had poor performances lately but it’s all about bouncing back and I think we are on the right way to get to the level we expect of ourselves and the coaches, also in what the fans expect. So we’re getting there.
“Olympiacos is a big team. But we have also shown that we can win games away from home.
“Yes, it will be a difficult game, but we will make an effort to win.” “We will put in a lot of effort, be tenacious, and get ready to follow the coach’s instructions in order to win the game. “Motherwell’s victory gives us confidence, and despite Sunday’s difficulties, I’m glad we had a winning mindset and rallied to win. And that’s a smart strategy to start a harder game.
Being able to perform in a large stadium like Ibrox will be an enjoyable experience. “It will be an incredible experience for me to play there because we are all accustomed to that and the noise.” In recent weeks, Diomande has not always started games, but he maintains that he is “ready to step in and give my best for the team” in any position that Clement assigns him.
He said: “It is a healthy competition. We are all working hard in training and I’m giving my best to show the coach and to show my team-mates that I am ready for whatever minutes I’m going to get.
“We are a group, I’m part of the group, and I’m going to give everything I can when I get playing time.”
There are plenty of games to go before the final against Celtic next month but Diomande and his team-mates will be going all out to retain the trophy.
“It’s going to be a challenge, but it’s a long way off, so we can’t really focus on that right now,” he added. “But when it comes, we’ll be prepared to fight.” “That’s what you want to do; we want to keep the trophy.”
Read more news on
sportchannel.co.uk
Leave a Reply