Rangers v Sparta Prague betting tips: Crucial Czech start for Gio
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Rangers v Sparta Prague betting tips and odds
A new era starts on Thursday night when Giovanni van Bronckhorst takes charge of Rangers for the first time in their crucial Europa League clash with 7/2 outsiders Sparta Prague.
The Dutchman replaced Steve Gerrard last Thursday but played no part of Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final defeat by Hibernian.
Gers and the Czechs are fighting it out for second spot in Group A which would ensure a place in the preliminary knockout round as we look at some of the options in our Rangers v Sparta Prague betting tips.
Match Odds
Both teams have four points heading into Thursday’s clash at Ibrox where the Light Blues are 4/5 favourites to avenge their 1-0 defeat in Prague at the end of September when Glen Kamara was sent off having been routinely booed by a stadium packed with schoolchildren.
Since then, Rangers have taken four points off Brondby while the Czechs lost home and away to group winners Lyon, who qualified for the knockout with a flawless four wins.
Van Bronckhorst’s first task is to get the disappointment of Sunday’s defeat out of his players’ system but he is confident he has the squad to deliver this season, saying: “It’s a great squad. Of course we are not happy with the result. We can see some things I want to change and we have to be better at.”
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) November 22, 2021
All four of Rangers’ group matches have involved two goals or fewer which is priced at 17/20 and we go 3/1 on the hosts to win either 1-0 or 2-0 against the Czechs, who are involved in a four-way title battle with arch rivals Slavia, Viktoria Plzen and Synot who crushed Sparta 4-0 over the weekend.
Rangers to win to nil is available at 2/1 but with nothing to separate the teams and Brondby just two points adrift, an open game is expected so we go 13/8 on both teams to score, over 2.5 goals and either team to win.
A goal in both halves and the match to be drawn, just as it was in Gers’ trip to Brondby last time out, is 6/1 while the hosts to win and under 3.5 goals is 29/20 in our Rangers v Sparta Prague betting tips.
Talking Tactics
Former Gers player Van Bronckhorst has already confirmed he is an advocate of the 4-3-3 formation favoured by Gerrard.
Alfredo Morelos was one of five changes to the side that had beaten Ross County 4-2 a fortnight ago, operating as the main striker on Sunday, supported by Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo, with Steven Davis, Kamara and Scott Arfield in midfield.
💙 TEAM pic.twitter.com/j7kRz3nNYx
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) November 22, 2021
The Czechs deployed a 4-2-3-1 against the Scottish champions in which Bulgarian striker Martin Minchev led the line.
Goalscorer Odds
Morelos, Fashion Sakala and Kemar Roofe are the joint 4/1 favourites to break the deadlock, despite scoring one goal between them in this competition.
Ianis Hagi scored the crucial equaliser in Denmark and is 7/1 to bag the game’s opening goal or 14/5 to find the net.
Right-back James Tavernier has yet to score in the Europa League but has struck three times in the Scottish Premiership, so we go 7/1 and 11/4 in the two markets for our Rangers v Sparta Prague betting tips.
Jakub Pesek is Sparta’s top scorer in the Czech top flight and is 9/1 to draw first blood or 7/2 to find the net but Lukas Haraslin, who scored twice in the 4-3 home defeat by Lyon, is 14/1 and 5/1, although Adam Hlozek is the 15/2 and 14/5 favourite in the goalscoring options.
Match Info
Where: Ibrox
When: 20:00, Thursday 25th November
How to watch: BT Sport 3
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
