Leon Balogun is looking for Rangers atonement against Aberdeen after his team was defeated at Ibrox last time out.
Philippe Clement’s Rangers will face their bitter north-east rivals in a powder keg showdown at Pittodrie tomorrow.
Michael Beale’s disastrous side were defeated 3-1 at home by Barry Robson’s Dons in the reverse fixture in Glasgow at the end of September.
Balogun believes that brutal loss left a ‘dark cloud’ hanging over the dressing room that he insists has now been lifted after Clement’s arrival. The Belgian has made a perfect start in the Scottish Premiership, winning all four fixtures, but faces a huge task with the tough away trip to the north east.
Balogun has returned into the side with impressive performances away to Dundee and in the Viaplay Cup semi-final against Hearts. He made his debut in Scotland for Steven Gerrard as Rangers kicked off their unbeaten season with a 1-0 win at an empty Pittodrie – with Balogun taking a sore head knock off the post. This time round he’ll enter a noisier and more intimidating venue but he’s swept away any suggestion that Aberdeen are set to ‘try harder’ against the Light Blues.
He said: “I wasn’t involved the last time we played them but that was a massive kick in the face, a punch in the gut. The team was very down. There was a very dark cloud around the dressing room which feels like it has now lifted.
“There will probably always be an element of, ‘Right, last game we know how it went, so let’s make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“I don’t want to call it revenge but it never sits nicely if you suffer defeat. We haven’t actually spoken about it as a group but I’m sure most of the lads will have it at the back of their mind.”
Balogun continued: “I think every team tries harder against us, always. So with all due respect that’s nothing new really.
“We all know that, especially from the Aberdeen side, there’s a great value to that game because of the rivalry. You always know up there that it’s not going to be pretty. They’re going to make it hard for you.
“There will probably always be an element of, ‘Right, last game we know how it went, so let’s make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“I don’t want to call it revenge but it never sits nicely if you suffer defeat. We haven’t actually spoken about it as a group but I’m sure most of the lads will have it at the back of their mind.”
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