RANGERS turned in arguably their finest performance under Steven Gerrard to claim a share of the spoils in Portugal and will now be looking to topple FC Porto back at Ibrox.
The result itself at the Estadio do Dragao, a 1-1 draw, was hugely impressive but it was the manner of Rangers' performance that had Gerrard bursting with pride.
The Ibrox side claimed some big wins on the road in their run to the UEFA Cup Final in 2008 but the tactics employed by Walter Smith were far from easy on the eye.
The dour, defensive style of play, which became known as Wattanaccio, won Rangers few fans with the neutrals but Gerrard has them playing far more attractive football on the continent.
I was hugely impressed with the way Gerrard's side kept possession in Portugal and Alfredo Morelos' goal came from a wonderful bit of play.
If they can stay cool in possession again, and match the intensity they showed when beating Feyenoord at Ibrox, then Rangers stand a good chance of claiming a massive victory here.
But they still look vulnerable at the back and had Allan McGregor not made a fine late save in Portugal then all Rangers' good work would have counted for nothing.
I flagged up the right-hand side of the Rangers defence as a weak spot before the game at the Estadio do Dragao and tipped whoever started on the Porto left to get among the goals.
Both Luis Diaz and Shoya Nakajima like to cut in onto their right foot to have a pop at goal and that's how Porto got their noses in front, with Diaz blasting a long-range strike past McGregor.
The Colombian has kept his place in the team for the last three games, with Porto winning twice and drawing once, so I'd expect him to start again here.
Diaz is 18/5 with Unibet for anytime scorer and that seems overpriced on the evidence of the first meeting between these sides.
Porto striker Moussa Marega hasn't played since leading the line against the Ibrox men in Porugal. Reports in Portugal suggested he would return after being rested but Marega hasn't travelled to Glasgow so Ze Luis will shoulder the burden ip front.
One of the main reasons why Porto have struggled a bit this season is none of their strikers has hit top form, with neither Marega, Ze Luis nor Tiquinho getting into double figures.
That's in stark contrast to Rangers, with in-form Morelos taking his tally for the season to 20 with a double in the League Cup semi-final win over Hearts on Sunday.
Even back-up striker Jermain Defoe has smashed in 13 goals and that superior firepower up top could make the difference in what could be a tight game. Despite his red-hot form, Morelos is as big as 9/5 with Unibet and that looks excellent value.
Porto have lost all three of their games in Glasgow to Rangers and Celtic, leading the Portuguese media to brand it a “cursed city”.
I'd be wary of backing Rangers for a win given their unreliable defence but Gerrard's side are worth a shout in the double chance market, which also pays on the draw. Unfortunately, the odds aren't great at a best 8/15 with 888Sport so I'm more inclined to go with another draw at 5/2 with BetVictor.
Rangers' last two home games have ended in 1-0 victories, against Legia Warsaw and Feyenoord, so that points towards another cagey match. Under 2.5 goals is 51/50 with Marathonbet and I like the look of that.
I got a bit of joy from tipping master of the dark arts Pepe for a card in the first match as it came up when he committed a cynical foul on Morelos.
The veteran defender is 2/1 for another card here with Bet365 but Rangers' Ryan Jack offers better value at 7/2 with Unibet. The former Aberdeen man has two cards in his last three appearances and it could get a bit tasty in midfield.
This UEFA Europa League match between Rangers and FC Porto will be played on Nov 7, 2019 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Rangers vs FC Porto prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
