Europa League: Sparta Prague vs. Glasgow Rangers Preview, Odds, News, Prediction

Glasgow Rangers travel to Prague once again, only this time, the Gers face Sparta in the UEFA Europa League event. Last year, the Scottish powerhouse didn’t have a pleasant experience against Slavia, but they hope to correct that against the other big club from the Czech Republic. Overall, both teams are in similar shape, raising their form in the last few weeks and starting to play much better than before. The match at the famous Letna carries a big significance because Sparta has one point, and the Rangers zero before tonight’s encounter.

Preview

Sparta Prague (+180) has numerous injured and absent players, but that didn’t decrease the morale of the Czech powerhouse. They haven’t lost in the previous four games, having two draws at first, and afterward, two wins in a row.

This weekend’s 2-5 triumph in Zlin was something that improved the atmosphere in the locker room, as Sparta looked pretty convincing against the solid opponent. There is one more thing we need to add. Four of the past five games were on the road, which undoubtedly affected Pavel Vrba’s boys.

Unlike the previous year, Sparta slowed down when talking about the efficiency, and we don’t see them participating in some gunfight matches like before. For instance, only one in five games at home saw over 2.5 goals.

Glasgow Rangers (+160) had a slow start of the year but bounced back after that, posting only one defeat n 11 games and winning eight times during that span. Steve G’s boys regained their mojo and started delivering much better performances, bringing better results immediately.

Right now, they are six points ahead of Celtic in the domestic championship, but without a single point in the Europa League. The opening event at home saw the Gers losing to Lyon with 0-2 pretty routinely, which worried all the fans. Losing against Sparta would put the Rangers in a pretty nasty situation.

The Gers’ defense is again at a high level, and overall, their matches are inefficient. Only two in the past nine ended with more than 2.5 goals, and Gerrard’s side posted five clean sheets during that period.

Latest News

Lukas Julis, Ladislav Krejci, Casper Hojer, and Borek Dockal are out. Dockal, Karabec, Polidar, and Pulkrab are questionable.

Filip Helander, Ryan Jack, Ryan Kent, and Nnamdi Ofoborh are ineligible for the guests.

Head to Head Games

The two sides met 30 years ago in the Champions Cup’s first round. Sparta won the first match 1-0, and after the same result in the second leg, advanced following the extra times, losing 2-1. Away goal was the difference-maker.

Prediction

The Gers will impose a hard and physical style of play, trying to protect their goal first before attacking. Such an approach will lower down the efficiency of the clash, and when we add that Sparta too has a much more cautious approach than in the previous year, our pick for tonight’s game would be a moderate efficiency, meaning 2 or 3 goals. The odds on that are +105, which is superb.

Pick: 2 or 3 goals

Here is the preview for Celtic vs. Bayer Leverkusen match.