RANGERS travel to the Stade de Genève to face Servette in the second leg of their Champions League third round qualifier on Tuesday night.
Michael Beale takes his side to Switzerland after a narrow 2-1 victory at Ibrox in last week's first leg, on a night where my recommended bet landed with relative ease.
That was just the tonic for the Teddy Bears following their listless 1-0 defeat at Kilmarnock in their Scottish Premiership curtain-raiser.
The Scottish giants have since made light work of Livingston with a 4-0 win and they will be hoping that can act as springboard for further success with a view to finishing the job against Servette.
The hosts' fighting spirit continues to reward them as they were 2-0 down at Ibrox and then subsequently reduced to 10-men in the second-half, yet they have given themselves a puncher's chance of pipping Rangers to a place in the Champions League playoffs.
René Weiler's side warmed up for this clash with a 1-1 draw at home to St.Gallen on Saturday, so they will be hoping for a much-improved performance in front of what is sure to be a cauldron of Swiss noise.
Outright Betting
Only a win will do for Servette but the home team head into his crunch qualifier as 21/10 outsiders with Bet 365.
A draw would be enough to send Rangers through to the playoff round and that outcome pays 11/4 (Bet 365) while the Light Blues are 11/10 (Bet 365) favourites to triumph.
Betting Angles
I suspect this second leg could be a lot closer than the bookies' odds suggest, so much so that I'm prepared to play the hosts with +0.25 start on the Asian Handicap at 93/100 (William Hill).
This selection means we'll earn a half-stakes profit in the event of a draw, with a full-stakes pay-out secured should Servette win the game in normal time.
As already alluded to, Servette will have to throw caution to the wind in search of a goal at some point here and I suspect they could get some joy when faced with a Rangers team that look like they need more time to gel after a period of upheaval.
It was a slightly jittery display that led to a 2-1 victory from Michael Bale's men in Govan last midweek and you would have to suspect that Servette will be a different animal when backed by their own fans and on familiar turf at the Stade de Genève.
What's more, René Weiler's hosts have hit the back of the net in each of their three Champions League qualifiers to date, which doesn't bode well for a Rangers side who have managed just one clean sheet across their last 15 continental away games.
This bet would have paid out in each of the hosts' two clashes with Genk in the previous round and that coupled with likelihood the Light Blues being more than happy to settle for stalemate here is enough evidence and reasoning for me get the Swiss outfit onside with +0.25 start at 93/100 (William Hill).
On a similar line of reasoning to the above, I'll also go with the 13/8 on offer with William Hill for the home team to deliver Over 1.5 Team Goals.
Servette are certainly susceptible to conceding goals themselves – as demonstrated by the fact they have failed to file a clean sheet in seven attempts this season – so multiple strikes may be required if they are to topple the Teddy Bears.
This UEFA Champions League match between Servette and Rangers will be played on Aug 15, 2023 and kick off at 19:30. Check below for our tipsters best Servette vs Rangers prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
