Rangers vs NK Maribor Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

Maribor will make the 1000-mile journey to Glasgow for their third-round qualifier against Rangers. The Slovenians have already progressed past Partizani from Albania and Chikhura Sachkhere from Georgia to get to this stage and with clean sheets in all of their European matches so far, they will be looking to continue that trend against the Scots. As for Rangers, they have also been defensively sound, with only one goal conceded in the tournament thus far, so it might be a battle of the defences in this one.

Since Steven Gerrard succeeded interim boss Jimmy Nicholl in May, there has been a real optimism around the club, something that hasn’t really been at Ibrox since their domestic-double-winning season of 2010/11. They are still to lose a game under the Scouser and with them just making their 11th signing of the season in former Osijek captain Borna Barišić, Gers fans have a lot to cheer about. After so much financial trouble in recent years, the club will be desperate to make something of their European campaign this year and give their fans an homage to the great Rangers teams of the past.

As has been said, Rangers are in very good form; unbeaten in their last ten matches with an extremely unlucky last-minute draw to Aberdeen at the weekend, Steven Gerrard’s squad should have enough about them to take the game to Maribor in their hugely important home leg. The team has had no problem scoring with 14 goals in Gerrard’s first seven games and have had a solid defensive record, with only three conceded throughout the new manager’s tenure so far.

Despite a draw at the weekend, Rangers will take a lot of positives from the match as they managed to create many of the game’s better chances against a good Aberdeen side at home. However, 2014’s Champions League group stagers are definitely a level above Aberdeen and will be by far the club’s toughest opponent so far this season.

Maribor are unbeaten in their last 17 with 13 wins, 13 clean sheets, 49 goals and no losses. Darko Milanič, known mostly in Britain for a 32-day tenure at Leeds, has had his men in electric form and will be extremely confident going away to Ibrox. The only blip in the Slovenians’ recent record would be their rather uninspired performances in Europe this season. Despite blowing teams away domestically, with recent results being 4-0, 5-0 and 10-0, they have failed to recreate that form on the continent, with some pretty soggy performances getting them where they are, failing to score against a poor Chikhura side away from home, conceding 11 shots in the process. Judging by this, it may not be the landslide victory that some Maribor fans might expect.

Judging by both of these teams’ record so far domestically and in Europe, we’re going to back another tight victory for the Slovenians. They have a fantastic defensive record with Viler, Šuler, Ivković and Pihler all on top of their game at the moment and Rangers currently lack an in-form striker, with Alfredo Morelos and Jamie Murphy only sitting on one goal each for the season; three of the team’s five competitive goals this season have been scored by defenders. Rangers should make a good showing of themselves but we’re backing them to ultimately fall short, giving the Slovenians an away goal to take to the second leg in the process.