Rangers can’t escape the Balkans
Steven Gerrard has an advantage he didn’t have in Rangers’ previous two Europa League qualification matches. Maribor was in Liverpool’s Champions League group last season, so Gerrard had a first-row view of today’s opponent.
“I know quite a lot about Maribor. I watched both their games against Liverpool last season,”
“They are a good team, they have a bit of Champions League experience, will be feeling very confident so they come to Ibrox in a good place. It will be a difficult challenge.”
Bet on Glasgow Rangers vs Maribor with bet365
He’ll have to use every bit of background knowledge he has on Maribor in order for Rangers to get the better off the Slovenians, who are the Scottish team’s third straight opponent from the Balkans. In the previous two rounds, they eliminated Macedonian side Shkupi (2-0; 0-0) and Croatia’s Osijek (1-0; 1-1).
Darko Milanic’s Maribor must be feared
NK Maribor had to begin their Europa League mission from the first qualifying round as well, getting past Albania’s Partizani (1-0; 2-0) and Georgia’s Chikhura (0-0; 2-0). Their main threat is Luka Zahovic, the son of Slovenian football legend and current Maribor director of football Zlatan Zahovic. The 22-year-old striker scored against both prior opponents and will present a tough assignment for Rangers’ new centre-back, Nikola Katic. Dino Hotic, Amir Dervisevic, Marcos Tavares, Jasmin Mesanovic and 19-year-old Jan Mlakar are all players capable of making a difference for the Slovenian side.
Rangers will dread this draw
Maribor is not a good draw for Rangers. They are not the type of team Steven Gerrard wants to face while trying to build his new squad. The Slovenians are confident, experienced, talented and won’t be scared of the prospect of playing at Rangers’ famed Ibrox stadium.
Their matchup will start at 20:45 CET/GMT+2 and will be played in front of a packed stadium in Glasgow, where the sold-out crowd will be curious to see how their team handles the first true test under new head coach Steven Gerrard.
Maribor vs. Rangers Bet365 Odds
For those who lack trust in Rangers, which is not unreasonable after the 1-1 draw with Aberdeen to open the new Scottish Premiership season, a 1.8 line (4/5) for a Maribor draw or win sounds tempting.
Maribor vs Rangers Head-to-Head Matches
The two have actually met on four previous occasions. Back in 2011, Maribor eliminated Rangers in the last round of Europa League qualifiers (2-1; 1-1). Ten years prior, Rangers knocked out their Slovenian counterpart in the Champions League qualifiers.
