Young Boys vs Rangers Predictions

Young Boys’ first foray into Europa League action this season saw them suffer an unsurprising 2-1 defeat away to Portuguese heavyweights Porto thanks to a floundering start which saw all 3 goals scored in the opening half an hour.

However, the Swiss side will be much more confident about their chances here, especially with an excellent home record to back them up. They have won 12 of their last 17 Europa League home games, although it is worth mentioning that they have won none of their 4 European clashes with Scottish opposition.

Rangers had a much more fruitful start to their Europa League group stage campaign, with an early Sheyi Ojo goal sealing a potentially crucial 3 points against Feyenoord. This was an important win for Steven Gerrard’s men, and it’s likely this defensive strategy will come into play again on Thursday.

Rangers have scored just 4 goals in their last 5 Europa League group stage games, and they’re facing a Young Boys team that have only netted 6 times in their last 5 Europa League group matches. The rearguard tactic should be enough to nullify Young Boys’ threat, but they might struggle to create opportunities themselves.

As you might have guessed, we’re not expecting a thriller in Switzerland. 7 of Rangers’ last 11 Europa League matches have seen fewer than 3 goals scored, and both sides’ rather poor attacking record in the group stages makes Under 2.5 Goals a profitable looking option in the markets. Especially considering Rangers’ last 3 Europa League ties have brought a total of just 2 goals.

Young Boys’ home record makes them the bookies’ favourites for this tie, but we think it will be a tight clash. Rangers’ haven’t won any of their last 12 Europa League away games in the group stages and beyond, but a massive 8 of these games have ended all square. In fact, 2 of their Europa League qualifiers this season have ended goalless, so going for a 0-0 draw looks the best option for the correct score markets.