The Daily Star Ireland
Glasgow Rangers have had a strong run in the Europa League, with their only setback being a 1-4 defeat to Lyon in the group stage. They also drew 1-1 at Olympiakos but secured three victories, including an impressive 1-4 win over Nice two weeks ago. This has positioned them 8th in the standings, making them one of the teams almost guaranteed to reach the round of 16.
Following their victory at Nice, Rangers have continued their good form with wins over St. Johnstone (0-1) and Kilmarnock (6-0). They are set to play Ross County next in the Premiership, where they are currently in 3rd place in the Scottish league, although they are 11 points behind rivals Celtic in the title race.
Tottenham, in contrast, have had a mixed Europa League campaign with three wins, one draw, and one loss. After starting strong with three consecutive victories, they lost 3-2 to Galatasaray and drew 2-2 with AS Roma in their recent matches. In the Premier League, Spurs have struggled, sitting 10th after a 1-1 draw with Fulham and a 1-0 loss to Bournemouth. They also played Chelsea last Sunday.
For this match, Rangers will be without several key players, including forward Matondo, who has scored twice in the league but is injured and ineligible for this competition. Forward Cortes, on loan from Lens, has only made three appearances since joining the team and is also expected to miss out.
Midfielder Lawrence, who has five goals, including two in the Europa League, is unavailable, as is right-back Kasanwirjo, who was absent for the Nice match. Despite these absences, Rangers will still rely on important players such as Dessers, who has scored 12 goals in all competitions, midfielder Bajrami, and captain Tavernier, who has five assists.
Tottenham will travel to Scotland without their starting goalkeeper Vicario, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Forster is expected to take his place, having started the last three Europa League matches. Central defenders Romero and van de Ven are also likely to miss out, as well as forward Richarlison, who has been dealing with injuries, and French forward Odobert. Young winger Moore, 17 years old, is also expected to be unavailable. Johnson, who scored in the draw against AS Roma, has three Europa League goals and 10 goals in total this season. While Son and Solanke haven’t been as impactful recently, they remain important attacking threats. Young striker Lankshear will return after serving a suspension.
Prediction
Tottenham has struggled in away games, going ten matches without a win in the Premier League and suffering seven losses during this stretch. Rangers, on the other hand, have been strong at home, winning 12 of their last 16 Europa League matches at Ibrox, making them the favorites to win.
Prediction: Rangers 3 : 1 Tottenham
