Erik Palmer-Brown and Panathinaikos target Rangers comeback

Erik Palmer-Brown claimed Panathinaikos are “really confident” they can overturn a 2-0 deficit at home to Rangers in the second leg of their Champions League qualifier in Athens on Wednesday.

The Greeks went down 2-0 at Ibrox last Tuesday as Russell Martin’s side seized the initiative in the battle to set up a third qualifying round clash with Viktoria Plzen or Servette.

But American defender Palmer-Brown is adamant the Greeks are still firmly in the tie and can get the victory required to oust the William Hill Premiership side.

“I think we have to be ready, this is our time,” he said at his team’s pre-match media briefing on Tuesday. “I think over this last week we all have felt really confident and believe in ourselves to go out there and do what is needed.

“We’re playing at our house in front of our fans and we know their expectations and what we expect of ourselves as well. We’re going to go out there and give it our all.

“Of course, we know we have to score three goals as of now and we don’t plan on giving any up. That’s our goal as well, so we’ve got to go out there and perform at a really high level because we know they’re coming to win as well.

“This is a good team and we know that we’re going to have to go out there and do our best and give everything we have.”

Panathinaikos spurned a series of chances at Ibrox and their cause was not helped by the fact they played the last half-hour with 10 men.

“I think we did a lot of things well but I don’t think we finished off our chances that we created and ultimately that hurt us in the end of the game,” said Palmer-Brown.

“I think also on transition we can do better on stopping their two goals. If we put our chances away again that we had, maybe this doesn’t happen. But this is football and sometimes it is cruel and you get unlucky sometimes.

“In this game, we need to take advantage of the chances we create, and we will do that.”