Rangers vs FCSB Prediction: Back the hosts to return to winning ways

Uefa Europa League action returns to our screens on Thursday evening with a 16-game programme. There’s all to play for at Ibrox as Rangers welcome FCSB to Ibrox with the locals looking for their second win in three games. The game kicks-off at 20:00 and will be broadcast on TNT Sports 3.

Rangers suffered a painful weekend defeat in the Scottish Premiership, and pressure is mounting on manager Philippe Clement. Betfred’s Frank Monkhouse expects the under-fire gaffer to deliver a crucial three points and keep his team on course for a place in the knockout stages as he takes us through his Rangers vs FCSB Predictions...

Rangers start matchday three of the Europa League campaign in 17th place with three points on the board, three goals scored, and four conceded.

The Glaswegians opened with an upset win over Malmo on the road but were brought back to earth with a thud when losing 4-1 to Lyon in Govan last time out. Victory over FCSB on Thursday would keep them in the running for a top-eight finish and an automatic spot in the finals. Another home defeat could leave the Gers fighting for survival.

Steaua Bucharest arrive in Glasgow in fourth and are one of only five teams with a 100% record in the league. The visitors have played two and won two, scoring five goals while conceding just one.

Thursday represents their toughest test to date, but manager Elias Charalambous knows his Liga I champions are bursting with confidence.

Rangers vs FCSB Odds

Betfred traders offer a long list of interesting markets on Rangers vs FCSB, allowing both new and existing customers to predict the result or play one of the many specials. Rangers enjoy home advantage and the backing of a passionate support. The locals are currently available at 4/9 in the match result market, which indicates they are rated as a 69% chance of being victorious.

They may arrive in Glasgow with two wins from their first two appearances, but the team from Bucharest will kick off as underdogs on Thursday. The head-to-head stats show these teams have met six times previously, with an even split of two wins each and two draws. The most recent produced a 1-1 draw back in 1995, and another level finish is 7/2 (22%), or you can back the visitors at 6/1 (14%).

Rangers win

Despite the away side's strong recent form, we open with a bet on Rangers to win the match at odds of 4/9, available on the Betfred website and mobile app. Gers impressed when beating Malmo on the road, but they were wasteful against Lyon and paid the price. They lost to Kilmarnock at the weekend, meaning the pressure is on to return to winning ways at the first time of asking.

Rangers often reserve their best performances for this competition, and with FCSB coming to win, Gers can counter with speed. They must take their chances, but if Rangers can score early and drain Bucharest's confidence, they should deliver the result fans crave. The hosts have the quality and learned against Lyon the importance of making it count.