Rangers will be aiming to overturn a two-goal deficit when they travel to Bayer Leverkusen in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 clash.
The first leg at Ibrox ended 3-1 back in March but Steven Gerrard’s side will be in good spirits after opening their Scottish Premiership campaign with a 1-0 win at Aberdeen on Saturday.
Bayer have not played a competitive game in over a month since they lost 4-2 to Bayern Munich in the DFB-Pokal final on July 4, and so may not be as fresh as their Scottish counterparts.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Rangers Latest Odds
Despite a break of over four weeks, bet365 make Leverkusen 8/13 (1.62) favourites to win this clash and advance to the quarter-finals in style.
Rangers won their last away game in the competition when they won 1-0 in Braga in the round of 32, but bet365 price them as 4/1 (5.0) outsiders in Germany.
The draw, which would see Bayer qualify on aggregate, is priced at 16/5 (4.20) with the online bookmaker.
Bayern Leverkusen vs Rangers Team News
Kerem Demirbay is suspended for the Bundesliga side, who have no injury worries ahead of this clash at BayArena.
Gerrard will likely field the same XI that beat Aberdeen in their season opener at the weekend, with the exception of Leon Balogun who is ineligible after joining Rangers from Wigan in July.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Rangers Preview
Although Leverkusen are arguably the stronger side on paper, the lack of match practice could benefit Rangers on Thursday evening.
The Gers barely missed a beat in Saturday’s win at Aberdeen, having 15 shots at goal and dominating possession with 61 per cent of the ball.
It will certainly not be easy in Germany, especially with Bayer knowing they can afford a draw or even a defeat and still qualify, but Rangers will certainly feel they can give themselves a chance of qualifying.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Rangers Tips and Predictions
Rangers will be in good spirits after their win over Aberdeen and with Bayer perhaps rusty, the 6/5 (2.20) price from bet365 on Gerrard’s men avoiding defeat offers good value for punters on Thursday.
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
Rangers/Draw Double Chance at 6/5 (2.20) for a 1pt stake with bet365 