Rangers vs Athletic Bilbao predictions: Gers set for more Ibrox issues
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- Rangers lost 2-0 at home to Hibernian on Saturday
- Athletic Bilbao have lost just three of 15 away matches in LaLiga
- Recommended bet: Athletic Bilbao to win
Rangers will be aiming to move a step closer to reaching a second Europa League final in four seasons when they welcome Athletic Bilbao to Ibrox for the first leg of their quarter-final tie on Thursday.
The Gers, who were beaten by Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2022 final, have faced a tumultuous few months, parting ways with former manager Philippe Clement and bringing in club legend Barry Ferguson on an interim basis until the end of the season.
Ferguson has overseen some impressive results, including winning in Turkey against Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce in the previous round of this competition and claiming a 3-2 success at Old Firm rivals Celtic, but he has not been able to improve his side's poor home form.
Rangers have lost five matches on the spin at Ibrox, most recently Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership, and they will be facing an Athletic side that sit fourth in LaLiga and are unbeaten in five across all competitions.
Ernesto Valverde's visitors also have an added incentive to reach this season's Europa League final, as it will be played at their San Mames home.
Team news
Rangers will be without two key players for this clash, with centre-back John Souttar and midfielder Mohamed Diomande both ruled out through suspension.
Neraysho Kasanwirjo (knee) remains a long-term absentee, but Ferguson will be able to call upon key attacker Vaclav Cerny, who is the club's top scorer in this season's Europa League with six goals.
Athletic are set to be without experienced left-back Yuri Berchiche, who limped out of Sunday's goalless draw with Villarreal with a calf problem, although fellow defender Aitor Paredes, who was forced off in the same game, could still be passed fit.
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The stats
Rangers have lost five home matches in a row across all competitions, a run that includes a shock Scottish Cup exit at the hands of Queen's Park and a 2-0 defeat to Fenerbahce in the round of 16 of the Europa League, although they still progressed from that tie on penalties.
The Gers have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last 10 matches and have conceded 14 goals in seven games under Ferguson.
Athletic are unbeaten in five matches, but the two most recent of those, against Osasuna and Villarreal in LaLiga, have finished 0-0.
The Lions have scored in all 10 of their Europa League matches this season and finished second in the league phase, five points and six places better off than Rangers.
This will be the first competitive meeting between these sides since the quarter-finals of the 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup — Rangers progressed from that tie 4-3 on aggregate after winning the home leg at Ibrox 4-1.
Prediction
It has been an up and down few months for Rangers, but their run of five successive home defeats means they are difficult to side with against a consistent Athletic outfit.
The Basque club are only behind Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in LaLiga and have lost just one away game in that competition, against Atletico, since early October.
Having accounted for Roma in the previous round, Athletic should prove too strong for a vulnerable looking Rangers side that have conceded two or more goals in seven of their last eight games.
This could be an open contest — Rangers also score plenty of goals — but Athletic's quality should shine through and they are expected to take a lead into next week's second leg.
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