Rangers (Sco) vs Club Brugge KV (Bel) prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Qualification betting tips on match 2025-08-18 19:00.
[p]Scottish Premiership runners-up Rangers will host the first leg of what promises to be a fiery UEFA Champions League (UCL) play-off tie against BelgiumāsĀ Club Brugge.[/p]
[p]Match News and Current Form[/p]
[p]Rangers enjoyed some continental success last term by reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League, and have proved they are of UCL calibre thus far by brushing aside Panathinaikos and Viktoria PlzeÅ 3-1 and 4-2 on aggregate respectively to reach the final round of this seasonās UCL qualifying phase. Success in those ties was driven by wins at Ibrox in the first leg of both encounters, and another here would make it nine competitive games overall unbeaten on home turf and subsequently go a long way to securing what would be just their second appearance in the UCL proper in the last 14 campaigns.[/p]
[p]Club Brugge have had some more recent UCL exposure, making the group/league phase in seven of the last nine seasons, and remain Belgiumās only club to ever reach a European Cup/UCL final when they lost 1-0 to Liverpool at Wembley in 1978. The Blue and Black proved theyāll take some stopping this time around too after beating RB Salzburg home and away to record a 4-2 aggregate win last round, which contributes to a fruitful streak that features just a lone defeat in their last 13 matches (W10, D2).[/p]
[p]Head-to-Head History[/p]
[p]These two sides met in the 1992/93 UCL group stages where a 1-1 draw in Belgium was followed up by a 2-1 win at home for Rangers, contributing to the Gers winning all seven of their home games against Belgian clubs in the past.[/p]
[p]Hot Stats and Streaks[/p]
[p]Nine of Rangersā last 12 games have seen both teams score.[/p]
[p]Rangers have lost just four of their 29 home games in the UCL qualification phase (W18, D7).[/p]
[p]Club Brugge are unbeaten in their last six matches in UCL qualifying (W5, D1).[/p]
[p]Club Brugge have scored first in six of their last nine away games.[/p]
[p]Key Players to Watch and Missing Players[/p]
[p]Djeidi Gassama has scored four of Rangersā seven goals this UCL qualifying campaign, and he clearly enjoys the comforts of home as three of those came at Ibrox. Brugge captain Hans Vanaken will attempt to steal the limelight, with his goals usually bringing good fortune since heās ended up on the winning side in ten of his last 12 goalscoring appearances for his club (D1, L1).[/p]
[p]Rangers will welcome back some players and seem to have a mostly fit squad to choose from, while Brugge will likely be without Joel OrdĆ³Ć±ez and MichaÅ SkĆ³raÅ.Ā [/p]
[p]Betting Analysis[/p]
[p]Rangers will prove very stubborn at home despite Bruggeās form, making the prospect of Rangers to win or draw (double chance market) very enticing.[/p]
[p][i]Author: Peter Stavrinou[/i][/p]