Leipzig expect physical battle against Rangers

RB Leipzig must prepare for a physical battle against Scottish champions Rangers in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, manager Domenico Tedesco said on Wednesday.

Leipzig stormed in the last four on the back of a superb 3-1 aggregate win over Italian side Atalanta thanks to a brace by Christopher Nkunku in the quarter-final second leg, which sealed a 2-0 victory.

Tedesco said his team can expect a tough test on Thursday against a side that sent their German rivals Borussia Dortmund crashing in the knockout round playoffs with a 6-4 aggregate victory.

"Rangers threw Dortmund out of the competition and that says a lot," Tedesco told a news conference. "We know how strong this team is. They are a very physically strong team that, if they put their mind to it, can beat any opponent.

"Rangers are strong on the wings and have players with good individual quality in that position. They put a lot of crosses into the box and get a good amount of players into the area."

Tedesco said that Austrian midfielder Konrad Laimer, who is on the radar of a number of top European clubs, could be a key player against the Scottish side.

"Konrad identifies with intensity. He has a lot of deep runs and often starts to dribble at the right moment," Tedesco said.

"That's one of his great strengths. He's a very versatile player who's really good for us."

Leipzig have reached their second European semi-final in the last three seasons.

The German side's previous UEFA competition semi-final was in the Champions League in 2019-20, when they were defeated 3-0 by eventual runners-up Paris St Germain.

Rangers have made it to the last four for the first time since 2007-08 when the Glasgow side finished as runners-up in the Europa League, then known as