Why the former Celtic ace rates Rangers odds of beating Braga at ’40 per cent’

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men avoided the likes of Barcelona, ​​RB Leipzig and Lyon as they were drawn against the Portuguese side they beat in the same tournament two years ago.

Nicholas believes the worst thing the Scottish champions could do is ‘to take Braga lightly’.

“With the winner of the Gers-Braga duel meeting RB Leipzig or Atalanta in the semifinals, some fans are already dreaming of reaching the final in Seville,” he wrote in his Daily Express column.

“But don’t let Braga’s modest pedigree fool you. They may be fourth in the Portuguese league, but they’ve been steadily developing.

“I would rate the draw in favor of Braga at 60/40. I think they win because Rangers concede too many goals. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side have only kept four clean sheets in their last 10 games.”

However, Nicholas still believes Rangers have a strong chance of progressing and has identified two key players.

“Any way you look at it, Rangers have a very good chance of reaching the semi-finals,” he said.

“If Van Bronckhorst gets his tactics right and Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos both shoot then they have a real chance.

“There’s something about these European nights that brings out the best in them.

“But Rangers really need to be on their feet to go into the semi-finals and I think it’s going to be very close on both feet.”

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