Jagiellonia Bialystok head coach Adrian Siemieniec insists his team must find a way to thrive at Ibrox, not merely survive, as they defend their narrow aggregate lead against Rangers.
The Polish side travel to Glasgow holding a 2-1 advantage from last week's first leg at the Chorten Arena. Siemieniec acknowledges the challenge of facing Rangers in front of their home supporters, who will be eager to see Derek McInnes secure his first win as Rangers boss and keep alive hopes of reaching the Europa League group stage.
Identity and ambition
Siemieniec stressed that his players are not looking to simply hold onto their lead, urging them to go out and extend it. He said: "I don't have the impression that anything came easily to us in the first match. When facing an opponent of this caliber, it might sometimes seem like something could be easy, but it's never that simple. Above all, you have to reach the right level of quality in your game."
He dismissed the narrative that Jagiellonia must merely survive, adding: "There's a lot of talk before this match that Jagiellonia has to survive here or it'll be tough for us. I'm well aware of the opponent's strength, the power of this venue, these stands. At least I imagine so, since I've never been here. It will certainly be a strong advantage for the hosts."
Siemieniec emphasised his team's defined style: "On the other hand, we have a clearly defined identity. This Jagiellonia has reached this point because it identifies with a certain style of play. That's just who we are, and we can't be anything else. Of course, we evolve and develop, but our identity is clearly defined. We're a team that wants to play with the ball, be proactive, create situations and threats."
Injury concerns for both sides
Rangers boss McInnes has been dealt a double injury blow, with Youssef Chermiti and Tuur Rommens both ruled out of the Ibrox return clash. Siemieniec has his own worries, as captain Taras Romanczuk and former Celtic defender Yuki Kobayashi are nursing knocks following Sunday's domestic defeat to Widzew Lodz.
Despite the concerns, Siemieniec remains optimistic about their availability: "I believe they will be available. With such a short timeframe—admittedly a bit longer for Taras, since he didn't play against Widzew—it's hard to say for sure, but at this moment, the forecasts are optimistic. I believe both will be at my disposal, and I'll be able to consider them."
He also praised Rangers' strength in depth: "I don't want to speak for the Rangers coach - that's not my team or area of expertise. But we're aware that Rangers have a strong squad and lineup with a lot of quality not just in the starting eleven. No matter what combination they field, it'll be a very strong team that's hard to beat."
Jagiellonia face a tough test at Ibrox on Thursday, with a place in the final Europa League qualification round at stake. Siemieniec concluded: "We know a tough match awaits us, but we didn't fly here to just survive—we came to win and advance further. That's our goal. If we want to play higher than the Conference League, we have to win on big stadiums against big clubs. We can't avoid that."
