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Jagiellonia Bialystok will take on Rangers in the first leg of their third-round Europa League qualifier on Thursday, with Gers in need of a pick-me-up after failing to win their first league match of the season at the weekend.
Derek McInnes will be keen to avoid a start reminiscent of the one overseen by Russell Martin last season, so a strong performance in Poland is of paramount importance.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Jagiellonia Bialystok vs Rangers key stats
- Jagiellonia Bialystok have won each of their last six matches in all competitions.
- Rangers have won just one of their last six competitive matches.
- Fewer than three goals have been scored in two of Jagiellonia Bialystok's last three matches.
Jagiellonia Bialystok vs Rangers preview: A chance to experiment
Jagiellonia Bialystok vs Rangers — Tale of the Tape
| Jagiellonia Bialystok (Ekstraklasa) | vs | Rangers (Scottish Premiership) |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd | Position | 6th |
| 6 | Points | 1 |
| 3 | Goals For | 1 |
| 1 | Goals Against | 1 |
| 1 | Clean Sheets | 0 |
| 9th | Home / Away Rank | 3rd |
The term banana skin feels appropriate when discussing Thursday night from a Rangers perspective, which is only compounded by Gers' poor form in the build-up to the match.
After hiring former Hearts boss Derek McInnes in the summer, the hope was to make a quick start, but after only playing two pre-season matches during the off-season, have they perhaps not given themselves the best chance?
On Friday night, they kicked off their Scottish Premiership campaign with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Dundee United, and considering they went a goal down, they can perhaps count themselves lucky that they left Tannadice with anything.
.Jagiellonia Bialystok have lost just two of their last 13 European home matches.
Lawrence Shankland will be keen to open his Rangers account on Thursday, and the 30-year-old is expected to lead the line. Meanwhile, Connor Barron and Jose Cifuentes remain unavailable through injury.
As for Jagiellonia Bialystok, there will be belief within the squad that they can win on Thursday night and take a lead into the second leg at Ibrox next week.
The Polish side had a strong campaign last season, finishing third in the Ekstraklasa and missing out on Champions League places on goal difference alone. They have started this season strongly, too, with two wins from their first two league matches.
Rangers have lost each of their last six European away matches.
They have enjoyed success in Europe in recent seasons, too, and won't be overawed by the occasion. Two years ago they reached the quarter-finals of the Conference League and last year, they made it to the playoff round.
As they look to go one better by having a crack at the Europa League, manager Adrian Siemieniec has a fully-fit squad to select from on Thursday.
Jagiellonia Bialystok vs Rangers form guide & betting tips
| Jagiellonia Bialystok | vs | Rangers |
|---|---|---|
W
W
W
W
W |
Form |
L
W
W
D
D
|
| 7 | Goals For | 9 |
| 2 | Goals Against | 6 |
N/A |
Europa League | N/A |
Whispers predicts: Jagiellonia Bialystok 2-0 Rangers
The contrasting form of the two teams is too difficult to ignore, particularly after how sluggish Rangers looked on Friday night. A home win has been best priced at 2/1.
Fewer than three goals have been scored in two of Jagiellonia Bialystok's last three European matches. Under 2.5 goals has been priced at 4/5.
Nik Prelec has scored two goals in two games for Jagiellonia Bialystok and is priced at 2/1 to score anytime on Thursday.
> Jagiellonia Bialystok to win at 2/1 (3.00) | Likelihood: Possible
> Under 2.5 goals at 4/5 (1.80) | Likelihood: Probable
> Nik Prelec to score anytime at 2/1 (3.00) | Likelihood: Possible