Prediction: Athletic Bilbao vs Rangers

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best odds: 83/100

Bookmaker: ZetBet

After a lively but goalless first leg, Athletic Bilbao and Rangers reconvene at Estadio San Mames on Thursday night for the decisive second leg of their Europa League quarterfinal.

The aggregate winners will progress to a semifinal showdown against either Manchester United or Olympique Lyon in early May.

Athletic Bilbao

Despite playing with a numerical advantage for over 80 minutes – including stoppage time – and enjoying more than 70% possession, Athletic Bilbao were left frustrated at Ibrox, unable to claim a first-leg win against a valiant Rangers side in the Europa League quarter-finals.

The Spanish outfit, heavy favourites heading into the tie, dominated after Robin Propper’s early red card but could not beat Rangers goalkeeper Liam Kelly, who capped off a heroic display by saving Alex Berenguer’s 82nd-minute penalty to keep the scores goalless.

Ernesto Valverde’s men snapped a run of three successive 0-0 draws with a 3-1 comeback victory over Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Sunday. Substitutes Oihan Sancet (2) and Nico Williams scored in the final 30 minutes to strengthen Athletic’s hold on fourth place in the table.

Now competing in their first European quarter-final since the 2015/16 season, Athletic are aiming to reach the Europa League final — which will be held at their own San Mames Stadium – for the first time since losing to Atletico Madrid in 2012.

The Basque club boasts a flawless home record in this season’s Europa League, winning all five matches so far. However, they face a psychological hurdle: on the last five occasions they drew the first leg of a European knockout tie, they were eliminated each time. They have not progressed after a first-leg draw since the 1976/77 UEFA Cup semifinals against RWD Molenbeek.

Team News

Athletic may be without Inaki Williams, who sustained a muscle injury late in the win over Rayo Vallecano. Yuri Berchiche remains sidelined with a calf issue.

In Inaki’s potential absence, Nico Williams could shift to the right flank with Alex Berenguer on the left, while Oihan Sancet is expected to replace Unai Gomez in the No. 10 role. Up front, Maroan Sannadi and Gorka Guruzeta are in contention for a starting spot.

Julen Agirrezabala – Athletic’s designated Europa League goalkeeper – is set to return between the sticks, while Oscar De Marcos, Yeray Alvarez and Inigo Lekue are among those likely to be recalled in defence.

Rangers

After watching his Rangers team endure five straight home defeats over 90 minutes, Barry Ferguson expressed pride in their gritty performance during last week’s first leg, but he acknowledged that the Gers will need to be “bang on the button” to come out on top in Bilbao.

Rangers were forced to dig deep once again last weekend, holding Aberdeen to a 2-2 draw in the Scottish Premiership despite playing with 10 men. They fought back from two goals down at half-time, with substitute Ianis Hagi netting a dramatic equalizer in the 96th minute.

Now playing purely for pride in the domestic league, Rangers sit 15 points adrift of runaway leaders Celtic, who are on the verge of clinching the title, while also holding a comfortable 13-point cushion over third-placed Hibernian.

Understandably, Rangers’ primary focus is now on reaching the Europa League final for the second time in four years. Though they have failed to win the opening leg in each of their last six European quarter-finals, they have gone on to win the second leg in each of the last three instances.

Unbeaten in their last seven away games across all competitions (six wins, one draw), the Glaswegian outfit have already enjoyed success on Spanish soil this season. They edged out Real Betis 3-2 in the League Phase back in December, having failed to win any of their previous 13 visits to Spain between 1962 and 2008 (three draws, 10 losses).

Team News

Dujon Sterling (Achilles) and Neraysho Kasanwirjo (knee) remain unavailable due to injury, while Robin Propper is suspended following his red card in the first leg.

However, Rangers will benefit from the returns of John Souttar and Mohamed Diomande, both of whom were suspended last time out. Souttar is expected to slot into the back three alongside James Tavernier and Leon Balogun in place of Propper.

After being dropped for the last two games due to a string of mistakes, Jack Butland may once again start on the bench, with Liam Kelly likely to keep his place between the posts.

Nicolas Raskin and Connor Barron are expected to continue as the central midfield pairing, while Diomande could return to the starting lineup to support Vaclav Cerny – Rangers’ leading scorer in the Europa League with six goals – behind main striker Cyriel Dessers.

Conclusion

Having already claimed impressive away wins over Fenerbahce, Nice, and Real Betis in this season’s Europa League, Rangers will be confident in their ability to spring another surprise on the road. With a full complement of players this time, they’ll aim to carry more attacking threat than they managed with 10 men in the first leg.

However, Athletic Bilbao’s flawless European home record makes them firm favourites to advance. While the Scots may once again offer stern resistance, the hosts are well-placed to edge the second leg in front of their own fans.

Both sides are likely to score at least once.

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best odds: 83/100

Bookmaker: ZetBet