Rangers

Rangers V Manchester United

Wednesday, 24th November – 19:45 (GMT)

Venue: Ibrox

TV Coverage: ITV1

Rangers

This time last year, Rangers were packing their bags following a dismal group campaign which had seen them collect just two points from a possible eighteen. Some harsh lessons were learnt back then by both the players and the management staff, and it’s a testament to everyone involved with Rangers that twelve months on they’re in with a realistic chance of making the last-sixteen and are almost guaranteed a place in the knock-out stages of the Europa League at worst. Manager Walter Smith and his assistant Ally McCoist aren’t even contemplating Europe’s second tier club competition though, with the focus from everyone on Wednesday’s must-win encounter with Manchester United at Ibrox.

The problem for the SPL champions is anything less than victory would all but scupper their chances, what with Valencia expected to take all three points from their contest with pointless Bursaspor at the Mestella. In fact, even a draw wouldn’t be enough under those circumstance, so Walter Smith needs to somehow produce a master-stroke as manager by plotting table-topping Man Utd’s downfall. In fairness to The Gers, they weren’t a million miles away from pulling off a shock in the reverse meeting at Old Trafford, where the Red Devils were almost made to punish from making wholesale changes. However, with United virtually guaranteed a berth into the last-sixteen, manager Sir Alex Ferguson could once again fielded a weakened line-up.

Domestically, Rangers have been superb all season long, but then again it is the Scottish Premier League, a league where only two matches a season actually count for anything or bare any resemblance on who clinches the title. Even so, to win twelve of your opening fourteen league matches takes some doing and with the likes of Kenny Miller, Steven Naismith and Steve Davis bang in form, the Blues will no doubt fancy their chances inside a jam-packed and atmospheric Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow.

In the previous encounter with Manchester United on Match Day 1, Walter Smith set his side up to defend parity right from the off. It was a tactic which made the game as dull as humanely possible but it was also a coy move with bared fruit in the form of a possibly invaluable point. Smith will know exactly how threatening United are on the attack, especially as his opposite number has confirmed that Wayne Rooney will start as he steps up his recovery for full match fitness, so expect more of the same from Rangers on Wednesday. Plenty of men behind the ball when not in possession, but hopefully we’ll all be treated to some quick breakaways from the hosts as they seek to win this match in a clinical manner, as they know full well a gun hoe effort would be in vein.

Manchester United

Despite an indifferent start to the season, it is sometimes easy to forget that Manchester United remain unbeaten in all competitions thus far. Inconsistent and so often frustrating in the league, free-scoring but still not entirely convincing in the Carling Cup, and clinical in Europe. However, while the United campaign so far hasn’t contained the glamour football we were treated to for the majority of last season, the Red Devils still find themselves boasting the only undefeated record in the country, are second in the Premier League and on the verge of qualification in the Champions League. And some have the cheek to say United are having a torrid season… Tut!

As you’ll always hear, a sign of a champion is a team who know how to win games when not at their best. Well, Manchester United have been perfecting that rule of thumb this season, but despite some notable cracks, they’re still one of the toughest sides to beat in England, in Europe even. On Wednesday, when they travel to Glasgow in Scotland to face domestic champions Rangers, United will know just a point will suffice in their quest to qualify for the knock-outs with a game to spare. In theory, United are home and hosed, and that could lead to Ferguson ringing the changes at Ibrox as he looks to keep the main bulk of his starting XI fresh, but then again he may decide to field his strongest XI after all, after the last time he made wholesale changes in Europe, it almost came back to bite Fergie and United in the backside. Ironically, it was against Rangers.

One player definitely starting tomorrow’s encounter is man of the moment Wayne Rooney. After all that bravado with his contract and wanting a move away from Old Trafford, Rooney decided he did want to stay after all although not until he was handed the most lucrative deal the club had ever dished out. But Rooney’s lack of respect to the club, fans and their God, Sir Alex, hasn’t gone unnoticed and on Saturday, as Rooney made his first appearance for the club since publicly confirming he wanted out, the United faithful gave the former Everton striker a hot reception. Supporters are of the opinion that Rooney now needs to earn their respect and admiration back and they let the club’s top goalscorer last season know this at the weekend. So will Rooney heed the call or will his slump in front of goal continue, having scored just once for club all season, until his match fitness is back up to the maximum capacity?

With Rooney aside, no-one is really sure what sort of team Sir Alex will field on Wednesday. With qualification virtually wrapped up, you would presume changes are on the horizon. However, Ferguson was widely criticised for endorsing changes against Rangers on Match Day 1 and with the small matter of top spot still at stake, we’re anticipating a strong team. If this is to be the case, United should justify their favouritism, but their form on the road this season has been sketchy to say the very least. Victories in this very competition away in Valencia and Bursaspor are very impressive indeed, but domestically they’ve conjured just one away win in seven and in their previous away encounter in the Premier League, away to Aston Villa, United came within a whisker of relinquishing their unbeaten status. For some reason, all is not right on the road and as of yet, but they’ve done enough on their travels in the Champions League this season.

Champions League Form

Rangers

Match Day 1: Manchester United 0-0 Rangers

Match Day 2: Rangers 1-0 Bursaspor

Match Day 3: Rangers 1-1 Valencia

Match Day 4: Valencia 3-0 Rangers

Manchester United

Match Day 1: Manchester United 0-0 Rangers

Match Day 2: Valencia 0-1 Manchester United

Match Day 3: Manchester United 1-0 Bursaspor

Match Day 4: Bursaspor 0-3 Manchester United

Domestic Form

Rangers (SPL ONLY)

Win/Draw/Lose: 12-1-1 (Home: 5-1-1)

Goal Difference: 34-15 (Home: 15-7)

League Position: 1st

Form: DWLWW (Home: WWDLW)

Manchester United (Premier League ONLY)

Win/Draw/Lose: 7-7-0 (Away: 1-6-0)

Goal Difference: 28-15 (Away: 11-10)

League Position: 2nd

Form: WWDDW (Away: DDWDD)

Betting Odds

Match Odds:

Rangers to WIN - 5.00 BetFred

Draw – 3.75 StanJames

Manchester United to WIN - 1.83 Boylesports

First Goalscorer:

Rangers

Kenny Miller -10.00 Coral

Kyle Lafferty -11.50 Unibet

Steven Naismith -13.00 bWin

Steven Davis – 25.00 Unibet

Lee McCulloch - 26.00 Boylesports

Manchester United

Wayne Rooney - 6.00 Ladbrokes

Javier Hernandez – 6.50 StanJames

Dimitar Berbatov - 7.00 VCbet

Nani - 9.00 Ladbrokes

Darren Gibson - 17.00 Bet365

Nemanja Vidic – 26.00 WilliamHill

Manchester United V Rangers

Tuesday, 14th September – 19:45 GMT
LIVE on Sky Sports 2

UEFA Champions League: Group C

Manchester United

Boasting one European Champion Clubs’ Cup triumph and two UEFA Champions League successes, their most recent coming in the 2007/2008 campaign, Manchester United will attempt to get their European adventure off to a flyer when Sir Alex Ferguson welcomes an old pal of his, Rangers manager Walter Smith, to Old Trafford in a game promised to be hyped up by all corners of the media as the ‘Battle of Britain’ encounter. That somewhat exciting headline couldn’t be any further from the truth, though, when you consider the plight at which the Scottish Premier League has fallen over the years, while Rangers’ money woes and their poor record in England means the Red Devils are worthy favourites to clinch all three points in Tuesday’s clash.

Last season seen United fail to reach the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since 2006, bowing out to Bayern Munich at the last-eight stage of the tournament last term, but after being handed a generous group will be confident of at least getting the ball rolling with an opening victory over Rangers before later, hopefully, progressing into the last-sixteen, the stage of the competition where the men are separated from the boys. And that could be the best way to define this encounter; men against boys, as United stand over the Scottish outfit like giants with the amount of talent and the sheer value of their squad. Wayne Rooney alone is arguably worth more in pounds than the Rangers team combined, although he was absent at the weekend as his team-mates let two significantly importantly points slip through their grasp away at his former employers’ Everton. The Red Devils conceding twice in injury time in a game they seemingly had wrapped up; hardly the pre-Champions League display asked for by manager Ferguson.

United’s form before Tuesday’s clash remains positive nevertheless, boasting an unbeaten start in the Premier League – 2 wins and 2 draws – although the off-field problems of Wayne Rooney could hardly of come at a worse time seeing as United kick off their Champions League campaign on Tuesday needing to begin on a positive note. They should do that with or without Rooney in fairness, although you would think the matter is a foregone conclusion should Rooney, who was reportedly omitted from Ferguson’s squad which travelled to Everton at the weekend through ‘lack of fitness’ but really was left out because he put his own needs before the good of the team, start on Tuesday night, and we reckon he has solid claims to make his United reappearance, with our hunch being Ferguson’s reluctance to throw Rooney into the Lion’s pit at Goodison, seeing as Goodison Park was where Wayne Rooney made both his Premier League début and a name for himself as one of England’s finest youth products in recent years.

With only Spanish outfit Valencia standing out as much of a rival in a lightweight Group C, nothing less than three points and a comfortable scoreline is to be expected from Man Utd. Their record on home soil against Scottish opponents is formidable, having won three of four encounters, beating Celtic twice in the last couple of campaigns, while the Red Devils have lost just one of their last 25 European affairs at Old Trafford, that rare loss coming last season against Besiktas, at a time when progression was assured in another featherweight group.

Rangers

Rangers qualified automatically for this seasons UEFA Champions League by virtue of clinching their second successive SPL title, but the Glasgow based club have never won Europe’s elite club prize and don’t boast particularly strong claims this time around either, with progression into the knock-out’s a feat in itself. In fact, Rangers will be hoping it’s third time lucky as they attempt to be a part of the competition’s last-sixteen which, should they do so, would be their first appearance in the knock-outs since the 2005/2006 campaign. However, first and foremost is their first encounter of the campaign, a trip to Old Trafford where one of England’s finest await them in a game they ideally need to get something from but will face an upward task in doing so.

It shouldn’t be too difficult bettering last season’s performance in Europe, where Rangers accumulated just two points in a realistic group which contained Sevilla, VFB Stuttgart and Romanian newcomers Unirea Urziceni, and yet Rangers’ only noteworthy results came away from home at Stuttgart and Urziceni, where the Old Firm surprisingly earned a share of the spoils in both encounters. Their away form was a great deal better then their form at Ibrox of three straight defeats but that doesn’t mean they’re in with even the slightest of chances of obtaining points from this venture to England against a wounded Man Utd at Old Trafford.

Following United’s slip up at the weekend, Rangers could find themselves up against a wounded animal in the form of the Red Devils, who are lethal and prolific at the best of times but when in the mood to turn a few heads and set the record straight, really do take some stopping. And that’s the task ahead which awaits Walter Smith’s players, to somehow tame this United beast which only Besiktas of Turkey has achieved in 25 atmospheric European nights at the Stadium of Dreams, although even that rare momentary lapse was tarnished by the fact Sir Alex fielded a weakened side. A Rangers side at the best, playing to the best of their ability and at full capacity wouldn’t cope with a United side at half the respective levels, and that’s the daunting prospect for Rangers, knowing that their opponents are far superior than them and nothing less than a fully committed performance from themselves will be enough to even remain competitive.

Although Rangers do have a great deal of winning form behind them, beginning the new SPL season with four straight wins, their most recent success, a 2-1 win away at Hamilton, wasn’t exactly vintage stuff and a similar display from the Scottish champs would see them handsomely beaten in Manchester on Tuesday night. Somehow, and even we aren’t quite sure how they will, Rangers need to raise their game by a considerable margin, as they can ill afford to begin this European campaign like their last, with a thumping defeat which will surely leave Rangers on their knees and begging to put out of their misery. In order to go from strength to strength they need something positive from this game, even if it is a disappointing but spirited defeat. Anything less and you do worry for Scotland’s only European competitors.

Match Prediction: Manchester United to WIN – 1.20 BetFred

The odds aren’t particularly great on a home win here but by the same token the Reds Devils won’t nee to be at their vintage best in order to see off an ordinary Rangers outfit, whom were dreadful in their last Champions League campaign and aren’t fancied to perform a great deal better this time around either.

Seeing as he was omitted from the squad at the weekend, Wayne Rooney is likely to jump straight back into the starting eleven for United’s Group C opener and that’s a deadly sign for Rangers, knowing full well Rooney will be eager to mend a few wrongs when he takes to the fray on Tuesday night. Although, a Rooney-less United should still have far too much ingenuity and class for Rangers anyhow, so anything less a Manchester United win would be a genuine shock.

Soccer-Betting Value Bet: Darren Fletcher Anytime Scorer – 4.30 Boylesports

Match Odds:

Manchester United – 1.20 BetFred

Draw – 7.00 Bet365

Rangers – 19.00 WilliamHill

Tuesday 8^th December

19:45 GMT – Juventus V Bayern Munich (Group A)

19:45 GMT – Maccabi Haifa V Bordeaux (Group A)

17:30 GMT – Besiktas V CSKA Moscow (Group B) 

19:45 GMT – VFL Wolfsburg V Manchester United (Group B)

19:45 GMT – FC Zurich V AC Milan (Group C) 

19:45 GMT – Marseille V Real Madrid (Group C)

19:45 GMT – Chelsea V APOEL (Group D) 

19:45 GMT – Athletico Madrid V FC Porto (Group D)

Wednesday 9^th December

19:45 GMT – Liverpool V Fiorentina (Group E)

19:45 GMT – Lyon V Debreceni (Group E)

17:30 GMT – Inter Milan V Rubin Kazan (Group F) 

19:45 GMT – Dynamo Kiev V Barcelona (Group F)

19:45 GMT – VFB Stuttgart V Unirea Urziceni (Group G) 

19:45 GMT – Sevilla V Rangers (Group G)

19:45 GMT – Olympiakos V Arsenal (Group H)

19:45 GMT – Standard Liege V AZ Alkmaar (Group H)

Our Bets:

Value Bet: VFL Wolfsburg to WIN – 2.20 Bet365

It has to be Wolfsburg to get the better of Manchester United in Germany. Wolfsburg’s attacking prowess last season led them to the Bundesliga title and with United missing just about every defender in the squadm Patrice Evra the only exception, surely the forward pairing of Edin Dzeko and Grafite, a partnership which bagged more then sixty goals last season, should have a field day in front of the United goal probably filled with an unconvincing Ben Foster. Also, how can we forget that United have already qualified for the knock-out stage whereas Wolfsburg must win to fend off the challenge from CSKA Moscow.

The German champions to prevail over the English champions for us in a game which should produce it’s fair amount of goals.

VFL Wolfsburg (11/10), Chelsea (1/3), Barcelona (8/13) & Juve-Bayern (23/10) (Draw): 14/1 Accumulator – Bet365

Possible surprise result:- Rangers to DRAW in Spain…

The Scots’ only representative in this seasons competition and they’re already facing up to the fact that they’re out of Europe all together. Rangers have to be Scotland’s worst entry in a Champions League for some time, with their 1-1 draw with Stuttgart in Germany their only noteworthy result, or the only game which they didn’t get beaten, either way it makes for dire viewing.

However, it would be typical for Rangers, after a dreadful campaign thus far, to pick up a result in the toughest venue in Group G. On their previous showings they could be in for another hiding but that’s not worth the hassle with Sevilla currently 1/3 on to win in Spain. However, a small nibble on the DRAW at 15/4 could be worthwhile, if not for comedy value.

Sevilla-Rangers to DRAW – 15/4 Bet365