Champions League Preview: Rangers - VfB Stuttgart

By Andrew Southwick

Kick-Off: Tuesday, November 24, 19:45.
Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow.

When this group began, and Rangers came away from Germany with a hard fought point in the bag, there was a very manageable path laid out for them to follow.

Defeat Unirea Urziceni home and away, win the return game against Stuttgart, and the games against Sevilla would merely be bonus games on the march to the last 16.

This season though, Rangers appear a little wary of doing anything the easy way.

Thumped at home by Unirea and Sevilla, and a draw snatched from the jaws of victory in Romania, means Tuesday's tie has everything riding on it.

For Stuttgart, things are not much better. In fact, they appear to be a lot worse.

They hold a one point advantage in the Group G table, however even a hard earned point at Ibrox could count for little as far as their Champions League hopes go, as a share of the spoils could lead to Unirea Urziceni booking their place gratefully in the next round.

Domestically, it is night and day for these clubs. 

Rangers currently lead a four way fight for the Scottish title, with a game in hand that could stretch their lead into a handsome one.

Stuttgart are third from bottom of the Bundesliga, with the weekend's 1-1 draw against bottom side Hertha Berlin pulling them no further away from where they don't want to be.

Manager Markus Babbel stresses "This is a different competition", perhaps trying to draw on the fact that the German league is much more powerful than the one their opponents lead, but their three points from four Champions League games shows Europe has not been a refreshing change of scenery for them.

Ibrox is generally a fortress for Rangers, however they need no reminder that they have now conceded at least three goals in their last three home European encounters.

Fortress Ibrox simply has to return if their Champions League dreams, or even just their Europa League hopes, are to remain alive.

FORM GUIDE

Rangers

Rangers 3-0 Kilmarnock (Scottish Premier League)
Rangers 2-1 St Mirren (Scottish Premier League)
Unirea Urziceni 1-1 Rangers (Champions League)
Dundee 1-3 Rangers (Scottish League Cup)
Rangers 1-1 Hibernian (Scottish Premier League)

VfB Stuttgart

Stuttgart 1-1 Hertha Berlin (Bundesliga)
Borussia Mongengladback 0-0 Stuttgart (Bundesliga)
Sevilla 1-1 Stuttgart (Champions League)
Stuttgart 0-0 Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)
Hannover 96 1-0 Stuttgart (Bundesliga)

TEAM NEWS

Rangers

On loan winger Jerome Rothen is out with sinus trouble, while Steven Naismith is doubtful with both hamstring and calf strains.

Kris Boyd should be fit, while manager Walter Smith will leave it late to decide if defender - and goalscorer in the first game between these two - Madjid Bougherra should play after he returned late from international duty. 

US international winger DaMarcus Beasley is back in contention after recovering from a hamstring injury.

But Pedro Mendes, Maurice Edu and Kirk Broadfoot remain on the sidelines.

Last Starting XI (v Kilmarnock): McGregor, Weir, Papac, Whittaker, Wilson, McCulloch, Davis, Thomson, Boyd, Naismith, Miller.

Stuttgart

Martin Lanig (cruciate ligament), Sami Khedira (foot), Stefano Celozzi are all out for the visitors.

Ricardo Osorio (thigh), Serdar Tasci (foot), Ludovic Magnin (thigh) are all doubtful.

Last Starting X1 (v Hertha Berlin): Lehmann, Niedermeier, Marica, Hitzlsperger, Boka, Rudy, Delpierre, Cacau, Hleb, Kuzmanovic, Trasch.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Rangers - Danny Wilson

In Madjid Bougherra's absence, the young centre defender took the slack in the centre defence and walked off with a clean sheet and the man of the match award. Remains to be seen if manager Walter Smith will trust him for the crunch Champions League tie, or the usually hostile trip to Aberdeen at the weekend. This could be a defining week for him.

Stuttgart - Zdravko Kuzmanovic

Goalscorer at the weekend for a side who have not exactly been scoring goals for fun of late.  The Serbian midfielder, and his fellow engine room compatriots, will have to chip in with more with the strikers in such dire form.

PREDICTION

Stuttgart are not a side scoring goals, but the weekend apart Rangers do have a problem leaking them. Despite the obvious gulf in class between the two leagues the sides play in, Rangers very clearly were not out of their depth in the 1-1 draw with Stuttgart, and with home advantage and recent good domestic form, they should just shade it.

Prediction: Rangers 2-1 VfB Stuttgart