RANGERS must get themselves up off the canvas in short order when they square off with Servette in the Champions League third qualifying round at Ibrox on Wednesday night.
The Light Blues kicked off their Scottish Premiership campaign with a limp 1-0 loss at Kilmarnock on Saturday, with Brad Lyons second-half strike proving to be enough to secure a memorable opening day victory for the hosts.
Given the intense nature of life in the Old Firm goldfish bowl, pressure is already starting to build on Rangers boss Michael Beale following Saturday's abject showing in Ayrshire.
The Gers chief will be looking for an immediate response from his side when they commence their quest to qualify for the money-spinning Champions League group stages against Servette this midweek.
The Swiss outfit pulled off a bit of shock in the last round of preliminaries against Belgian league runners-up Genk when holding them to a 3-3 aggregate draw before prevailing via the subsequent penalty shoot.
René Weiler's side will once again take on the role of the underdog in Glasgow but their recent continental displays demonstrate that they won't be fazed with the task in hand.
Outright Betting
Rangers, who have never come up against Servette in European competition, are odds-on 8/15 (Bet 365) favourites to take a first leg lead to Geneva next week
Servette's last two European ties have ended all square in normal time and the same outcome here can be backed at 7/2 (William Hill) while the Swiss side are 11/2 (Ladbrokes) outsiders to topple the Teddy Bears.
Betting Angles
Rangers are just a little too skinny for my liking on Wednesday night, with Both Teams to score the more appealing option at 5/6 with Bet 365.
The hosts' shortcomings last season, both at home on the European stage can be attributed to their struggles in keeping the back door shut, and boss Beale doesn't appear to have solved that problem with his summer transfer business to date.
That doesn't augur well ahead of a crunch clash with a Servette side that have scored in each of their five competitive fixtures this season so far.
In fact, the Swiss Super League side have yet to taste defeat in five outings this season thus far, so there is a sufficient body of evidence to suggest the Geneva guests can keep this contest competitive.
That being said, René Weiler's rearguard have yet to record a clean sheet this season, so they could struggle to tame a wounded Rangers team aiming to bite back from their aforementioned Rugby Park setback.
Admittedly, Rangers last outing demonstrated that their new-look side may need time to gel, however the Gers have only failed to score at home on two occasions across the last two seasons, so they should be capable of striking here with the backing of a fervent home crowd
It's also worth pointing out that the Both Teams to Score has been a winning bet across each of Servette's five domestic and European assignments this season so far, all of which adds to the appeal of supporting the same wager at Ibrox on Wednesday night.
With all this in mind, going for goals at both ends in Govan seems like a sensible solution at 5/6 with Bet 365.
This Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Servette will be played on Aug 9, 2023 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Rangers vs Servette prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
With Rangers losing to Kilmerok on 1-0 defeat, it is likely that the Gers will go offensive against Servette, therefore I am expecting an over3.5 goals in this match with over 10.5 in the corner market.
Servette will not sit back either !
7/2 both teams to score in first half