Rangers boss Mark Warburton reckons RB Leipzig friendly is the perfect challenge for his squad

MARK WARBURTON believes that facing RB Leipzig is perfect preparation for Rangers’ assault on the second-half of the Premiership season.

The Ibrox club are desperate to hold on to second place and have fierce competition from Aberdeen, with the Dons just two points behind.

The Light Blues will restart training tomorrow and begin their build-up for next Sunday’s friendly against Leipzig.

The Germans have taken the Bundesliga by storm this season, and currently sit just three points behind the leaders, Bayern Munich.

One of their shining lights has been Oliver Burke, signed for £13-million from Nottingham Forest, and now with four Scotland caps under his belt.

Warburton knows the match will challenge his players, but welcomes the task.

Warburton said: “We had some nice offers to go to the United States, but we wanted to give the players a break before coming back and training here.

“Going to America involved too many games and getting back late.

“At the time it was being planned, we could have been the Friday night game in the Scottish Cup, so we didn’t want to risk it.

“Leipzig will be a really tough test but it’s the type of challenge that we wanted.

“They are second in the Bundesliga, so they are a good side.

“They are a high-energy, pressing sort of team and that will challenge us.”

The Rangers boss admits he’s an admirer of German football.

He went on: “I like the German game and everyone knows about Bayern Munich. But I have watched a lot of Borussia Dortmund.

“The whole product in Germany is good, especially the pricing for the fans.

“I think the first thing you look at in a club is the people behind the scenes, and that’s a big thing over there.

“We want to have the best people here at Rangers and I think we have done that.

“The environment you create helps the players develop.”

Warburton hopes the game will give the long-suffering Rangers’ fans a taste of things to come.

He said: “We will have phenomenal backing in Germany, and I’m not sure what Red Bull Leipzig must be thinking with the amount of Rangers fans that are going to the game.

“The fans are desperate for European football again, and that’s what we want to achieve this season.

“So many fans have told me they can’t wait for the first European game but never did I believe we would be taking between seven or eight thousand with us for a friendly in Germany.”