Rangers v Urinea Urziceni – Champions League Group G

Rangers, after a promising start in their Match Day One fixture, which saw a 1-1 draw away at German side Stuttgart, the Scottish side suffered badly in their last game. A home 4-1 defeat by Sevilla left Walter Smith’s Rangers reeling at the bottom of Group G. However, Match Day three gives them the opportunity to really make some inroads and claim second place. They are currently level on 1 point with Tuesday night’s opposition, Unirea Urziceni. The Romanians who won their domestic league for the first time ever last year, have not looked out of their depth so far, despite only picking up a draw. Led by ex-Chelsea favourite Dan Petrescu, Uriziceni may prove a difficult challenge for the Scots to overcome.

Rangers have the luxury of this game being at Ibrox and need to make the most of that. With Stuttgart playing league leaders Sevilla in a game which the Spanish outfit should win, a win for Rangers could propel them into second place, with a two point cushion over Stuttgart. That will be the ideal outcome on Tuesday night for the Scots, in this relatively big match in the Group. Rangers, who are one point ahead of rivals Celtic in the Scottish Premier League, are adamant that they have been playing their best football in Europe this season. After a string of 0-0 domestic games, Rangers are back to winning ways in their last two league games.

The Champions League is a completely different story of course, and it is hard to judge the levels of competition from smaller nations. Just ask the two Milan teams who lost points at the hands of minnows on Match Day Two. A loss to the Romanians will leave Rangers a seemingly long way adrift in this year’s campaign. A draw may not disappoint in the long run, but both teams need the win, and they will both be eyeing this match for their first Champions League victory this year.

Rangers to win: 5/6 at Blue Square
Draw: 13/5 at Bet365
Unirea Urziceni to win: 4/1 at SkyBet

Betting Advice: This is a major game in the scheme of the group. Whatever happens in the other game between Stuttgart and Sevilla will have just as much impact on the winner of the Rangers game. Stuttgart are second on two point in second place, and Sevilla are top with six. With both Rangers and Urziceni on one point, this is a whole lot up for stakes here. Will the home advantage be enough to see Rangers across the finish line? Their goalscoring problems have been highlighted, and even though they are top, they are not blitzing their way to glory. This could be a potential night of despair for the Glasgow side. Has draw written all over it.