Leon Balogun has every reason to be confident ahead of Glasgow Rangers' trip to the Estádio do Sport Lisboa, where they face two-time European champions Benfica in the Europa League on Thursday, November 5.

Steven Gerrard's team are in a good run of form at the moment, winning their opening two games in the Europa League against Standard Liege and Lech Poznań, and top the Scottish Premiership standings.

Balogun has made seven appearances for the Light Blues since joining in the summer transfer window, two of them coming in the Europa League and helped the club keep an impressive six clean sheets in those games.

Speaking to Rangers official website, Balogun stated : "Nobody will go in there with fear. If at all, probably with respect, which we actually have for every team.

"Those teams have qualified for Europe not because they are just some team. Benfica, we all know about the strength of that club, but I don't think we have to hide or anything.

"Definitely those last two games [against Standard Liege and Lech Poznan] gave us confidence, rightfully so, and we have a good management staff and they are going to prepare us well."

The number 26 continued : "We go into the games with Benfica to win them, there is no point going into the game just to participate. We want to win if possible and I think we are going to have a match plan next week that will show us ways to do that.

"Then it is on us on the pitch to put that into life and breathe life into that plan."

Balogun has been named in the latest Nigeria squad announced by the Nigerian Federation on Thursday, October 29.

Igho Kingsley

Photo Credit : rangers.co.uk