Can Rangers do it again v Bilbao for a Rangers Thursday? | OneFootball

As the UEFA Europa League clash between Rangers and Athletic Bilbao nears, the anticipation among fans is palpable. People are genuinely excited, and perhaps a bit nervous, as they look forward to the contest. But can Rangers really beat a team as storied and successful as Athletic Bilbao? The answer, of course, isn’t simple. There are excellent arguments to be made for and against. And you can be sure that when night falls and the lights come on, Ibrox will be no less electrifying a venue than any other in world football.

Rangers have been a delight in the recent European campaigns. There’s hardly a more brutal knockout competition than the Europa League, and yet they’ve consistently punched above their weight. In 2022, for instance, they ousted Borussia Dortmund, a big club that many would have argued was better than the Gers. And while you might think that gives them the upper hand here, don’t make the mistake of writing off Athletic Bilbao. They’re a club that prides itself on bringing through Basque talent, many of whom have proven to be game-changers in La Liga.

It’s worth pondering the scheduling conundrum Athletic Bilbao faces. Their late Sunday engagement with Villarreal barely allows for recuperation before the Thursday clash against Rangers. Ernesto Valverde, their manager, has not shied away from voicing his concerns over this issue. Could this lead to fatigue affecting the team’s performance against the Scots? If so, can Rangers take advantage of it?

Pay attention to how the game unfolds tactically. Rangers, though dogged and sometimes direct in their play, have found a way to make the counterattack work for them in the Europa League. They have also shown a remarkable level of defensive solidity, which hasn’t always been the case with previous Rangers sides you might think of in the context of European competition. The Greenock Telegraph, a little local paper, did a smart bit of analysis this week, suggesting that might indeed be the key to this matchup: “The counter-attack versus the high press.”

In the end, trying to predict what will happen in a football match is like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube without being able to see it—it’s hard! But there are lots of different factors that will influence the result. You could argue that each of them is a “key” to the outcome. And let’s be honest: right now, we’re all just buzzing with anticipation for “Rangers Thursday.”