Dailly grind continues at Parkhead
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
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Rangers FC's treble chase in Scotland continues at Celtic FC tonight with defender Christian Dailly vowing that they will not slip at the home of their arch-rivals.
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Treble chase
A 2-0 victory at Sporting Clube de Portugal last Thursday propelled Walter Smith's side into the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, and with the Scottish League Cup already won, Rangers remain on course to win two other trophies: the Scottish Premier League title and the Scottish Cup. They face Saint Johnstone FC in the semi-final of the latter competition, with the winners set to meet first division Queen of the South FC in the final on 24 May.
Fixture backlog
Success on so many fronts has left Rangers with a fixture backlog, and while they are four points clear of Celtic at the top of the table, with two games in hand, the pressure on Smith's troops will not relent as the season enters its final phase. Nonetheless, Dailly's belief that Rangers will not be intimidated should serve them well as they visit Parkhead knowing a win would edge them closer to the league title.
'Everyone's a winner'
Dundee-born Dailly returned to Scotland to join Rangers in January after a 12-year spell in English football, and he told uefa.com that he could barely have imagined becoming part of such a successful squad. "I came here knowing what a great place it is and well aware that we were still in Europe," he said. "That's why I'm enjoying it so much because everyone's a winner, which always leaves you with a chance in every game you play. "
'All the way'
Rangers lifted their only major European trophy in 1971/72, winning the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup after losing in two previous finals of the competition, the first against their upcoming UEFA Cup semi-final opponents ACF Fiorentina in 1960/61. Dailly is looking forward to getting the better of the Italian club this time round. "When you get to the semi-final you want to go all the way," said the 34-year-old. "To be in the semi-final is a great achievement but we want to win it."