We have a Rangers v Athletic Club prediction for you plus a breakdown of the betting odds, team news and matchups ahead of their Europa League quarter-final first leg.
Rangers at the weekend lost 0-2 against Hibernian missing a chance to make up points on Celtic.
Athletic Club drew 0-0 against Villarreal at the weekend which ensured they stayed above them on the table and in fourth place.
How To Watch Rangers v Athletic Club
When is Rangers v Athletic Club?
Rangers v Athletic Club will take place on Thursday at 8 pm
TV Channel
discovery +, TNT Sports 2
Where is Rangers v Athletic Club Being Played?
Ibrox Stadium
Rangers v Athletic Club Odds
Team | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
Rangers | 13/5 | 27.8% |
Athletic Club | 20/21 | 51.2% |
Draw | 9/4 | 30.8% |
Rangers are priced at 13/5 ahead of this first-leg tie.
Rangers to win - 13/5
Athletic Club can be gotten at odds of 20/21 per the latest football odds at BoyleSports and the draw is currently priced at 9/4.
Athletic Club to win - 20/21
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Handicap Betting
Rangers: +1 @ 3/4
Athletic Club -1 @ 14/5
Handicap Draw +1 @ 13/5
Bet on Europa League Odds at BoyleSports
Rangers v Athletic Club Preview
Rangers' Form
It’s been a disappointing season for Rangers on the domestic front they currently trail Celtic by 13 points with only 6 league games remaining. Elsewhere they were eliminated in the Scottish Cup being knocked out by Queen’s Park 0-1 in the fifth round and lost 5-4 on penalties to Celtic in the League Cup Final against Celtic following a thrilling 3-3 draw AET.
In Europe, Rangers have been more consistent this season even if eliminated from the Champions League in the third qualifying round at the first hurdle 1-3 on aggregate against Dynamo Kyiv. In the Europa League phase, they earned 14 points from their 8 matches to finish in the final automatic round of 16 spot. In the next round, they beat Fenerbache 1-3 in the first leg but after a 0-2 AET defeat in the second leg, they needed a 3-2 win on penalties to reach this stage of the competition.
Though not a star-studded squad, this Rangers team does have a decent blend of experience with Butland (32), Tavernier (33) and Dessers (3) along with younger talents like Jefté (21), Diomandé (23) and Raskin (24).
Rangers Last Five Results
Rangers 0-2 Hibernian | April 5th | Loss
Dundee 3-4 Rangers| March 29th | Win
Celtic 2-3 Rangers | March 16th | Win
Rangers 0-2 Fenerbache | March 13th | Loss
Fenerbache 1-3 Rangers | March 6th | Win
3 Wins, 2 Losses
Athletic Club’s Form
In a sport which has become increasingly influenced by copious amounts of money with huge transfer fees and massive salaries given to footballers. The Athletic Club model of only working with players from the Basque Region is a nice antidote to the madness and they still manage to be very competitive including their Copa del Rey victory last season after a 1-1 draw beating Mallorca on penalties. This season they’ve continued to rise with them 4th in La Liga, reaching the Copa del Rey Round of 16 and semi-finals of the Supercopa de Espana.
They were one of the standout performers in the Europa League phase with their 19-point total meaning they only lost out on the top spot behind Lazio by a goal difference of +4 after a run where their only defeat was 4-1 against Besiktas though the quality of their opponents were weaker. In the Round of 16, they overcame a 2-1 deficit against Roma to win 3-1 in the second leg for a 4-3 aggregate victory.
This Athletic side has some exciting footballers but none more so than the Williams brothers on both wings whose blistering pace, dribbling ability and general skill is a joy to watch especially in this modern football phase whereby everyone wants to play the same,
Athletic Club’s Last Five Results
Villarreal 0-0 Athletic Club | April 6th | Draw
Athletic Club 0-0 Ossauna | March 30th | Draw
Sevilla 0-1 Athletic Club | March 16th | Win
Athletic Club 3-1 Roma | March 13th | Win
Athletic Club 1-1 Mallorca | March 9th | Draw
3 Draws and 2 Wins
Rangers v Athletic Club Predicted Lineups
Rangers Predicted Starting XI( 3-4-3)
GK: Butland.
CB: Tavernier, CB: Propper: Balogu
RM: Sterling, CM; Raskin, CM: Barron, LM Jefté
RW: Barjrami, CF: Dessers, Cerny
Athletic Club Predicted Starting XI (4-2-3-1)
GK: Simon.
RB: de Marcos, CB Nunez, CB: Vivian, LB: Boiro
CM: Jauregizar, CM: Prados
RW: Williams, AM: Gomez, LW: Williams
CF: Guruzeta
Rangers v Athletic Club Head-To-Head Results & Stats
This will be the first-ever competitive meeting between both sides.
Key Players To Watch
Cyriel Dessers- Rangers
The Nigerian International (30) has been brilliant for Rangers since signing from Cremonese a couple of seasons ago scoring 45 times across 100 appearances in all competitions and this season has 23 goals and 7 assists across 47 games including against Man United earlier in the competition.
Dessers is a progressive dribbler who will often open up chances for both himself and his teammates though he should get his shots off more he is efficient when doing so with a Non Penalty XG of 0.77 per 90 minutes. He is priced at 13/2 to score first and 9/4 to score anytime.
Cyriel Dessers anytime goal - 9/4
Nico Williams - Athletic Club
Spanish International Nico Williams (22) is not your typical Spanish Footballer, a traditional winger who likes to cut inside with his electric pace and showstopping skill making him very different to the usual Spanish threat while also capable of linking up with those around him.
This year at club level he has 9 goals and 7 assists across 39 games in all competitions and for this game, he can be gotten at 9/1 to score first or at 10/3 to score at any point.
Williams first goal - 9/1
Rangers v Athletic Club Prediction & Best Bet
Prediction: Rangers 0-2 Athletic Club
Rangers have performed well in the Europa this season but will need their best performances of the season over two ties to feature here.
Athletic Club are one of the most exciting sides left in the competition and have the prospect of a home final if they can get through the next couple of rounds.
Though Rangers have home advantage I’m unsure if they stand much chance in this game.
Best Bet: Athletic Club @ 20/21
Athletic Club - 20/21
Bet on Europa League Odds at BoyleSports
*Prices are subject to fluctuation.
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