Sporting seeking Ibrox inspiration

Sporting Clube de Portugal coach Paulo Bento is hoping victory against Rangers FC in the first leg of their UEFA Cup quarter-final could be the catalyst that revives his side's stuttering season.

Imposing venue
VfB Stuttgart and Olympique Lyonnais remain the only European visitors to have succeeded in breaching the Scottish Premier League leaders' defence at Ibrox this season, but Bento – whose team have won one and drawn one of their away games in the UEFA Cup since moving into the competition from the UEFA Champions League – is confident Sporting can add their name to that élite group. "We are aware Rangers' defence is strong, but in Europe, Manchester United [FC] are the only club against whom we have not scored away," he said. "In the Liga our form has not been consistent, but a lot can change before the end of the campaign."

British double
Sporting, whose 4-1 win at A. Naval 1° Maio on Sunday left them fifth in the Liga, 20 points behind leaders FC Porto, have already tasted success against British opposition having eliminated Bolton Wanderers FC 2-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16. Suitably emboldened, Bento – missing several injured players, most notably Derlei and Rodrigo Tiuí with knee problems – wants his side to enjoy another memorable night in Glasgow. However, the Lisbon club have never won in Scotland and the coach is wary of the threat posed by the hosts, saying: "Rangers' victory against Werder Bremen in the previous round proves they are more than just a physical team. But we learned some lessons about facing British opposition against Bolton and we'll be better prepared this time."

Dose of luck
Rangers overcame Bremen 2-0 in the first leg before withstanding a barrage of pressure in Germany to progress – and Walter Smith knows they need to keep Lady Luck on their side. "Against Bremen, we came under incredible pressure and, in the end, perhaps relied on a little bit of luck to get through," said the pragmatic former Scotland manager, who has even been dreaming of leading his charges into a first UEFA Cup final. "The longer you remain in a competition, the more belief you have that you might just make it to the final. The margin for error is extremely slim, but we will be prepared for whatever the tie throws at us."

Possession key
Smith has Kevin Thomson fit after a leg injury sustained after scoring the only goal against Old Firm rivals Celtic FC on Saturday – a result which put the Light Blues six points clear at the top with a game in hand – and having overseen narrow wins against Panathinaikos FC and Bremen, he has pinpointed the criteria for success. "In European football, ball retention is vital, particularly at home. We know we can defend and we are also aware of how Sporting like to play. They've managed to score in a number of their away matches so we'll need to be tight again. We've shown in the last couple of matches that a big element in us winning is not conceding a goal at home and we have to get at their goal when the opportunities come."