Rangers news: McLeish issues ‘massive’ Ibrox claim ahead of Borussia Dortmund clash
Alex McLeish has raised fears Rangers could face a Borussia Dortmund side “galvanised” by a rocking Ibrox on Thursday night.
The former Gers boss, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, suggested the visitors could be boosted by playing in front of a capacity crowd with attendance numbers limited at home.
Rangers won 4-2 in Germany in front of just 10,000 fans at the Westfalenstadion, which has a capacity of over 81,000, due to Covid restrictions.
However, the two sides are set to face off in front of a sell-out crowd at Ibrox.
McLeish insisted the German giants would not be fazed at the prospect.
He suggested the visitors could in fact be boosted by a packed stadium after playing in front of limited numbers in recent months.
“Let’s be pretty frank, the Dortmund players will not be fazed by opposition support,” McLeish told Football Insider’s Russell Edge.
“Ibrox is very, very fierce when the fans are there in full capacity. Let’s face it, Dortmund have got players with the experience of playing in massive crowds.
“If anything, I hope it doesn’t blooming galvanise Dortmund because a lot of players at the very top level thrive on gigantic crowds.
“We saw some top players in the world, like Liverpool, they had a spell in the pandemic with no crowds where they couldn’t get a result at Anfield. It’s unheard of.
“You know how much the crowd inspires the home players but it can galvanise the away players. It’s still a dangerous tie at this moment in time.”
Dortmund have not played in front of more than 15,000 fans since the start of December.
Their last three home games have all been limited to 10,000 attendees.
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