Champions League - Group G: Rangers vs StuttgartDespite some awful performances in the Champions League, Gers are still within a chance of making it to the knockout stages but only if they win this game. Stuttgart are also underperforming and they are sitting one point clear of Rangers but two points behind Unirea, which means the Swabians also need a win.
Rangers back on track in the SPL
Financial problems prevented Walter Smith from reinforcing the squad over summer and that is the main reason for team’s under par performances. The boss doesn’t have a big squad to choose from and no wonder Gers are struggling to cope with the busy schedule. They have raised their form lately, coming close to the win over Unirea and winning their last two league games, thus the hosts have reason for optimism. The midfield area is the biggest problem at the moment since the midfielders are not supplying enough useful passes to strikers Miller and Boyd, thus no wonder Gers scored just 4 goals in as many Champions League games. We expect the trend to continue against rock-solid Germans and you should really consider backing Rangers to score under 1.5 goals at 1.44 offered by Boylesports.
Walter Smith is slowly losing his patience with centre-back Madjid Bougherra after the Algerian came late from international duty for the third time. The player was allowed an extra day in order to celebrate with his national team but he then came late and could now miss out on the starting berth, especially since 18-year-old stopper Danny Wilson has been impressive over the last few weeks. Pedro Mendes is still out with injury, while Da Marcus Beasley remains an injury doubt.
Major problems in the scoring department
Stuttgart had a great finish to the last season that helped them clinch the Champions League place but Marcus Babbel’s side are largely underperforming this term. The Swabians are sitting in Bundesliga relegation zone, while their performances in Europe are not much better either. The team don’t look capable of scoring goals on regular basis and that seem to be the main problem. Just 2 goals scored in last 5 games are the perfect proof and we therefore see a good value in backing Stuttgart not to score at 3.42 offered by Betfair.
The visitors clearly enter this match low on spirits after the disappointing run of results and Marcus Babbel has a tough job on his hands. He has a very good team on paper but the big problem is the players are far from the desired form. The boss doesn’t have too many problems regarding team selection with Celozzi, Khedira and Lanig all expected to be in contention after recovering from injuries. If Stuttgart can avoid defeat in this match, they will have a great chance to clinch the second place with the home win over Unirea and you should therefore consider backing Stuttgart to go through at odds of 1.88 offered by Betfair.
Betting verdict
Both sides are largely underperforming at the moment and have major problems in the scoring department. Considering how much is at stake here, we expect both managers to adopt cautious approach and a low-scoring game looks on the cards.
Looking for livestream! Here it is! Our tip: Bet 5 on Under 2.5 goals
Odds -125 at
Bookmaker: BetCRIS
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1/8 F
UEFA
