Dundee won’t be taking any notice of Rangers’ recent troubles when they arrive as big underdogs at Ibrox on Wednesday.
The Dark Blues will be the first visitors to the Govan stronghold since a Mo Salah-inspired Liverpool ran riot in the Champions League, winning 7-1.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Gers have lost five of their last nine matches, though four of those were in Europe’s premier competition and the fifth against Celtic.
For Dundee skipper Ryan Sweeney, the four straight domestic victories in amongst that run are more important.
“They are only two points off the top of the table,” he said.
“I know the Champions League has posed different problems for them but they are playing against top, top quality opposition and some of the best players in the world.
“I think for us it is not about listening to stuff that goes on outside, it is all about what we can do.
“We will put together a plan, go there and frustrate them, then hopefully be a threat when going forward.
“Going to Rangers is difficult for anyone.
“But we are going there with full belief that we can go through.
“We are not going there just to make up the numbers – we are in the quarter-final and we want to get through to the semis.”
‘Things we can draw on’
Last season was a struggle throughout for Dundee in the Premiership.
However, Sweeney says the Dark Blues can take some heart from their displays against Rangers.
At home they led before being narrowly beaten 2-1 in March after a 1-0 reverse earlier in the campaign.
At Ibrox they were comfortably beaten but a good defensive display in the first half is something to draw belief from.
“I think we only played Rangers once at Ibrox last season but we had two games at Dens in the league,” Sweeney added.
“We missed a penalty and lost 1-0. And they scored late on to win 2-1.
“So there are little things that we can draw on. The lads are used to playing there so it’s not an overwhelming experience.
“They are going to see a lot of the ball. That’s standard for the way they play and the type of player they’ve got.
“After 35-40 minutes, we were right in the game. I think the first goal was a deflection.
“To be fair, second half they came out, Adam (Legzdins) had to pull off a few unbelievable saves and they got the second and the third.”
Ibrox demon
The second was an unfortunate own goal by Sweeney himself, a memory he’s keen to exorcise with a good performance this week – even if just to stop Legzdins reminding him of it.
“The guy’s put in a cross. I remember the striker was off the back of me,” Sweeney recalled.
“The last time I checked the ball was coming in and he held his run back so I probably had a bit more time than I thought.
“I was on the stretch as well and then I put it past Ads, which he still tells me about.”
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