Rangers are set to have an astonishing 12,000 fans in Vienna for their Europa League showdown on Thursday night.
Sky Sports correspondent Keith Downie reported on his personal Twitter account that 2,500 Rangers fans have tickets for the away section of the Allianz Stadion, which is a sell-out for the first time since it was built.
Rapid Vienna chiefs claim the visitors, who need a win in Austria, to qualify from the group stages of the Europa League, have been given additional tickets for the fixture.
.@skrapid Head of Security says they’ve given Rangers additional tickets for tomorrow’s sell out. 2,500 Gers fans now inside the stadium, but another 9,000 expected to travel without tickets. Says it’s the first time the stadium has been sold out since it was built! #RFC
— Keith Downie (@SkySports_Keith) December 12, 2018
Up to 12,000 Rangers fans are expected in Vienna. 2,500 have tickets for the game. https://t.co/T0u1XmwTjg
— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) December 12, 2018
OPINION
There are set to be plenty more than 2,500 Rangers fans in the stadium for the pivotal clash. Vienna officials are said to be prepared for visiting fans to take up around a quarter of the 24,000 seats at a venue which has never before been sold out. The Rangers invasion, apart from being a boon to the local economy as pubs, hotels and restaurants prepare to do a roaring trade, should contribute to brilliant atmosphere in the final one of the team’s six group-stage games. It demonstrates the pulling power of Steven Gerrard’s team and the immense support they have despite a troubled six years since liquidation. There have been clear signs of an upswing under the Liverpool icon this season and they are establishing a genuine title challenge to prevent Celtic running away with an eighth consecutive title. Progress in Europe would be a huge achievement for Gerrard’s team, who have already carved out a string of memorable results on the Continent.