RANGERS travel to Poland this week for their crucial Europa League play-off tie against Legia Warsaw, where victory over the Poles over two legs will result in a second successive place in the group stages for Steven Gerrard's side.
The Ibrox club are considered by many, including some Legia players, to be the favourites for the tie and while Legia's recent performances make for encouraging viewing for Rangers supporters, the Polish club still have some pedigree about them at this level and could cause Rangers some problems on Thursday night.
Issues in attack
It's no secret that Legia have had some trouble finding the back of the net so far this season. The Polish side have played 10 competitive games so far this campaign - six in the Europa League qualifiers and four in the league - but have so far only managed to find the net on 10 occasions. This relatively poor attacking output was clearly on show against Finland's KuPS in the second round of the Europa League qualifiers, where Legia progressed with a 1-0 aggregate win.
Against Greece's Atromitos in the third round, Legia similarly struggled in front of goal. The home leg finished goalless before Legia secured a 2-0 win in Athens, but the Poles' lack of attacking threat is a clear issue. Aleksandar Vukovic's team created a decent number of chances against Atromitos and KuPS, chalking up an aggregate expected goals (xG) of 6.27, yet only managed to score on three occasions.
The main reason for this appears to be that Legia attempt lots of shots from distance. The two wingers on either flank, usually Luquinhas and former Hearts player Arvydas Novikovas, often cut inside when given the opportunity and have a pop from distance. Valeriane Gvilia plays in a number 10 role, and is tasked with linking the midfield and attack and looks tidy on the ball - the playmaker will need to be nullified if Rangers are to blunt Legia's attack.
Style of attacking play
Legia certainly have issues when it comes to converting chances, but the Poles are fairly adept at creating them and are particularly effective from set-pieces. Three of Legia's 10 goals scored this season have arrived via corners, while another went in after a successful long throw from deep inside the opposition half.
Against Atromitos at home, the Greeks stood off and played a little deeper in defence as the game wore on which in turn led to more chances for Legia but, crucially, no goals. However, the Ekstraklasa runners-up moved the ball about fairly well in the final third when given the opportunity: playing with a deep defence, then, could ultimately prove problematic for Rangers in Warsaw.
READ MORE: Polish football expert gives the lowdown on Legia Warsaw ahead of Rangers play-off
The two full-backs on either side are not opposed to marauding runs forward, especially when Legia are driving the ball up the pitch on the opposite flank. A lot of Legia's attacking play that ultimately leads to shots comes via a full-back overlapping or arriving late on the opposite flank, often unmarked. Keeping an eye on these players when they venture into the Rangers half is a must for Gerrard's side on Thursday night.
Strong at the back
Legia's run to the Europa League play-off has been built on the strength of their defence and finding a way through could well prove to be Rangers' greatest challenge at the Polish Army Stadium. Vukovic's side have yet to concede in six European fixtures so far this season and count highly-rated Poland internationalist Artur Jedrzejczyk among their defenders.
Legia did concede two goals against Pogon Szczecin in a 2-1 defeat in their opening Ekstraklasa fixture, and both came from uncharacteristic lapses in concentration at the back. The first arrived when Pogon won the ball in midfield following a Legia goal kick, bursting forward before Legia's defence had any time to organise and resulting in a simple one-on-one for Adam Buksa to slot away. The second came from another counter-attack, this time down the left, where the ball eventually reached Pogon's right-back rampaging forward, who then duly blasted the ball in.
Clear-cut chances could be hard to come by for Rangers and Gerrard's side will need to be clinical in front of goal if they want to grab a crucial away goal or two. As much as Legia struggle going forward, they are well-marshalled at the back and rarely give much away.
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