Mohamed Diomande insists Rangers will travel to Bilbao brimming with belief as they bid to book their place in the semi-finals of the Europa League.

The Light Blues are aware that victory over Athletic Club at San Mamés on Thursday would secure their passage into the last four.

The tie remains finely balanced following a goalless draw in the first leg at Ibrox, and although the La Liga side are widely regarded as favourites, Diomande is convinced Rangers can defy the odds and extend their European adventure.

The midfielder said: “Yes, there’s belief — not everyone gets this kind of opportunity.

“The chance we have now to reach the semi-finals is huge, and it all starts on Thursday.

“We are united and fully believe in ourselves. Yes, we believe we can do it.

“I’m very confident, and I know something special is coming our way this time.”

Athletic Club head into the second leg as favourites, sitting fourth in La Liga and carrying the added incentive of reaching a final to be held at their own San Mamés stadium.

But Diomande remains unfazed, adding: “For me, I believe we’ve placed even greater expectations on ourselves.

“I cannot speak for them — I don’t know the level of pressure on their side or what their supporters expect.

“Perhaps their fans expect them to win, but we are travelling there to win as well.

“Both teams will feel the pressure; it promises to be a fantastic match.”

Diomande missed the first leg at Ibrox through suspension but is set to return for the second leg alongside John Souttar. The 23-year-old admitted it was tough watching from the sidelines.

“You always want to be out there, and it was very difficult for me to sit in the stands and not react to every moment,” he confessed.

“I was so proud of the team, the effort, the commitment, and the fight they showed for each other.

“I hope to start, but I don’t yet know the line-up for Thursday.

“We’ve still got two training sessions before the match, so I’ll give everything in training and hope I earn my place to help the team.”

Athletic Club secured a home win against Rayo Vallecano at the weekend, and Diomande, a keen follower of Spanish football, is under no illusions about the challenge ahead.

“I’ve watched them play before, and I follow La Liga a lot,” he said.

“They’ve got some excellent individual players, but I thought my teammates did well to handle that in the first leg.

“Of course, they’ll have the advantage of playing at home, but as I said, we’ll be ready for the fight.”

Rangers’ impressive away form in Europe this season has only strengthened the squad’s confidence. The Scottish giants have beaten Fenerbahçe, Nice, Malmö, FCSB, and Royal Union Saint-Gilloise, while also securing draws against Tottenham Hotspur and Olympiacos.

Diomande added: “As everyone knows, we’ve done really well away from home in Europe, and Thursday will be no different. We’re really looking forward to it.”

Rangers also delayed Celtic’s title celebrations at the weekend by staging a remarkable comeback from two goals down, despite being reduced to ten men, to salvage a 2-2 draw at Aberdeen.

Reflecting on the match, the former FC Nordsjaelland star said: “I’ll take the point and move on.

“It was a tough match, especially being a man down.

“But we showed real character to come back, and while we’re glad to have earned the draw, we’re not celebrating the point.

“Our aim was to win, and that’s always the mentality we take into every match.

“Now our focus turns fully to Thursday. If we can show the same spirit and determination, we’ve got every chance.”