Manchester United vs. Rangers: UEL Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Get ready for the exciting matchup between Manchester United and Rangers in the UEFA Europa League! Read our match preview, check the latest odds, and get predictions to help you make the most informed sports betting choices.

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Manchester United vs. Rangers: UEL Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Manchester United vs. Rangers: UEL Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

On Thursday night, Manchester United, currently amid a Premier League slump, will host Rangers, a Scottish team, at Old Trafford in a Europa League match that promises a Battle of Britain.

The Red Devils are currently in seventh place in the 36-team league, while the Gers are in eighth place, a point and a place behind.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Ruben Amorim, Manchester United's head coach, has labelled his team as "maybe the worst" in the club's 147-year history after last weekend's humiliating 3-1 home loss to Brighton & Hove Albion. The Red Devils' three Premier League victories in eleven games are not pleasant reading.

As a result of Georginio Rutter scoring the third goal and Man United's fourth home loss in five matches, Amorim's squad suffered their fourth loss in a row. The only shot on goal for United came from Bruno Fernandes in the first half, and custodian Andre Onana made his fourth mistake of the season, leading to a goal.

With each passing week, Manchester United's chances of obtaining European football for next season are dwindling. The 20-time English champions now sit in 13th position in the Premier League standings, with a gap of 11 points between them and the top seven and a cushion of 10 points between them and the relegation zone.

After a disappointing season, a Europa League victory would be a welcome relief. With two games left, Man U are currently in eighth place, one point ahead of ninth-place Tottenham Hotspur; they won their most recent away match against Viktoria Plzen 2-1 last month, and they are well on their way to securing an automatic last-16 spot.

The Red Devils will face FCSB in their last League Phase match, but before that, they have to concentrate on Thursday's match against Rangers. They have never lost to Rangers in four meetings (W3 D1) and have kept four clean sheets. They are one of five undefeated teams in this season's Europa League.

The Rangers management has supported Philippe Clement, who is responsible for turning around the club's fortunes on all fronts. This has added to the pressure on Amorim and other managers to grind out solid results.

After CEO Patrick Stewart admitted that "changing a manager isn't a silver bullet solution" and Rangers went on a losing streak of eight games in all competitions, Clement has guided the club to three consecutive victories, with an aggregate score of 11-1.

Last weekend, in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup, the Gers strolled to a 5-0 home victory against Highland League team Fraserburgh, with Cyriel Dessers scoring a hat trick. This followed maximum points in Scottish Premiership games against St Johnstone (3-1) and Aberdeen.

Rangers are currently thirteen points behind Old Firm rivals Celtic in the Scottish Premiership. However, they are in a good position to qualify for the Europa League's round of 16. They are in the top eight and four points ahead of the drop zone as they face Manchester United and Union SG in their last two matches.

Glasgow's giants, who last played in the Europa League to a 1-1 draw with Tottenham, will visit Old Trafford on Thursday. In their previous eight European away games against English teams, they have only won once, a 2-1 victory over Leeds United in 1992–1993, when they were qualifying for the Champions League.

Manchester United vs Rangers Team News

Four Manchester United players are still out with injuries: Mason Mount (thigh), Luke Shaw (calf), Victor Lindelof (unspecified), and Jonny Evans (muscle).

Marcus Rashford has been absent from the Red Devils' lineup for the past nine games after appearing in the Europa League victory over Viktoria Plzen on December 12. The attacker is expected to continue his absence from Amorim's squad due to his plans, and Antony, who is supposedly close to signing a loan deal with Real Betis, is also unlikely to play a role.

Last weekend, Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee were both benched, but centre-back Lisandro Martinez and striker Rasmus Hojlund could be recalled in their place.

Regarding the Rangers, several players are still out with injuries: Dujon Sterling (foot), John Souttar, Oscar Cortes (both unspecified), Neraysho Kasanwirjo (knee), and ex-Red Devil Tom Lawrence (knock). Mohamed Diomande is banned due to his three yellow cards in the League Phase.

Boris Becker is questionable despite returning to training this week after a period out with "internal bleeding." At the same time, Rafael Fernandes cannot play for the Gers at this tournament level due to his loan from Lille.

Connor Barron and Nicolas Raskin are expected to start in central midfield. The Belgian is leading the league in possession wins with 48. Hamza Igamane, who has scored four goals in his last four Europa League games, could be recalled instead of Dessers.

Our Predictions

Full-time draw @ 5.00 on Sky247.ng

Victory for either side would significantly boost their chances of qualifying automatically for the last 16. At the same time, Amorim could become only the third Man United boss after Sir Matt Busby (1956) and Sir Alex Ferguson (1990) to win his first three European games in charge of the club.

However, considering their form, particularly at Old Trafford, the Red Devils could come up short once again against a rejuvenated Rangers outfit, who may find a way to claim a share of the spoils in Manchester.

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