FC Midtjylland V Rangers Betting Tips: Midtjylland – 8 August 2019

Hosts appear good value to seize on home advantage

Europa League Tips

FC Midtjylland V Rangers

Thursday 8th August 2019 – 19:00 Kick-Off
UEFA Europa League Third Round
Pick: FC Midtjylland WIN
Odds: 33/20
Bookmaker: MarathonBet

1 X 2
8/5 43/20 33/20

* (All betting odds displayed were correct as of August 6th 2019 at 22:40)

Preview: FC Midtjylland have recorded victories over several teams from the British Isles in recent campaigns and will be seeking to add another to their collection when they welcome Scottish Premier League side Rangers to the MCH Arena in Denmark.

UEFA Europa League betting with 22Bet

 

Midtjylland Preview – Danes to claim another British scalp?

The MCH Arena, home of FC Midtjylland, has been a fortress in recent times. Just one visiting team has left triumphant in the past two campaigns, while no side from the British Isles has achieved such a feat since Manchester City were 1-0 victors way back in 2008 – and even that rare reverse occurred only after a goalless draw in normal time.

So the Danes have every right to believe they are favourites in this opening leg. This is, after all, a team which were crowned champions of Denmark as recently as 2018, lifted the Danish Cup at the end of the previous campaign and have begun the new one in imperious fashion by winning their opening four league fixtures on the spin. Three of those, by the way, were earned at home.

In the league last season, the Danish outfit succumbed to defeat on just two occasions on their own patch (W13 D3 L2, GF46 GA15) and were, at one stage, unbeaten in 15 at home. It has been a similar story in Europe. A 2-0 loss to Swedish side Malmo remains their only home defeat in the past two seasons (W4 D2 L1). All four of their victories in that time, meanwhile, were high-scoring and featured both teams on the scoresheet.

Knowing all that we do, it is perhaps of no great surprise to know there are no shortages of British scalps away to Midtjylland, who have managed to record wins over Manchester United (2-1), Southampton (1-0), Derry City (6-1) and The New Saints (3-1) in the past four seasons. The one notable absentee from that list being a side from Scotland.

Midtjylland Win & BTTS
5/1

Bet365

 

Rangers Preview – Gerrard targeting another favourable low-scoring outcome?

Progression thus far has been serene to say the very least for Steven Gerrard’s men, who dished out an absolute mauling in the first round – whitewashing Gibraltar’s St Joseph’s 10-0 on aggregate – while a 2-0 victory in Scotland enabled them to coast through the second leg of their second round encounter with Luxembourg’s Progres Niedercorn. This next assignment, however, will be their sternest test yet.

Rangers are not the most dependable of travelling sides, either. That 0-0 draw at Progres Niedercorn in the previous round now means The Gers have won only twice away from home in European qualifying games in the past three seasons (W2 D4). By the same token, no defeats in that time frame warrants a fair amount of respect. As is the fact Rangers conceded a miserly yet mightily impressive sum of one goal combined in all those outings, keeping five clean sheets.

Another clean sheet here would be massive in the context of the tie and would certainly place Rangers in the ascendancy heading back to Scotland. However, while their performances on the continent would showcase a resolute and stingy defence, in the Scottish Premier League last season Steven Gerrard’s side conceded almost three times as many goals on their travels (20 v 7), at a rate of 1.05-a-game compared with just 0.37 at Ibrox Stadium.

Taking into account the quality of the opposition that awaits them in Denmark, with Midtjylland ranked higher than every side in the SPL except champions Celtic, some perspective might be required before reading too much into Rangers’ form in Europe. The atmosphere in the dressing room and among supporters will be high, though, on the back of that dramatic win away to Kilmarnock on the opening weekend of the new SPL season.

 

Midtjylland V Rangers Key Facts:

  • Midtjylland have been beaten once in their last seven home matches in Europe (W4 D2 L1).
  • Rangers are unbeaten in their last six matches away from home in European qualifying (W2 D4).
  • Midtjylland won 1-0 against Aalborg in league action at the weekend. As did Rangers, who recorded a late 2-1 victory at Kilmarnock.

 

Betting Summary

The hosts possess a variety of pleasing form to make them an appealing betting proposition in this opening leg. Several victories against teams also from the British Isles; some really impressive numbers at home in last season’s Danish SuperLiga; a supremely confident start to the new campaign to open with four successive wins – and three of those were earned at home.

In these early qualifying rounds in the past couple seasons, Rangers have displayed a wealth of professionalism and resoluteness to not only strike up a superb seven match unbeaten run away from home (W2 D4), but also keep it incredibly tight defensively (one goal shipped in that same period). We can therefore expect another cautious but measured approach from Gerrard and his players, at least initially.

There is enough appeal about Under 2.5 Goals to put it up for selection, although I cannot help but feel this game will confound expectations. Rangers’ defensive record in Europe is very impressive but was achieved against fairly modest opposition for the most part. Furthermore, Gerrard’s team were nowhere near as dependable away from home in the SPL last season. In Denmark, against a strong opponent with a formidable home record, the visitors could well be exposed.