Rangers vs Tottenham Hotspur Preview

Tottenham will travel to Scotland on Thursday to face Rangers in the sixth round of the Europa League league phase.

Rangers come into this tie in decent form having won their last four games in all competitions. They are also unbeaten in eight games (W6, D2) and have failed to concede in their last three games.

As such, they welcome Tottenham to Ibrox Stadium with confidence and belief that they can climb further up the Europa League table. Only goal difference separates them from Tottenham with three rounds to go.

Therefore there is almost a guarantee that the winner of this tie will occupy one of the eight automatic qualification spots after match week six. The hosts have punched well above their weight in this competition, already taking seven of a possible nine points as pre-match outsiders (W2, D1), albeit all away from home.

The 4-1 demolition of Nice last round was one of their best performances this season and manager Phillippe Clement has declared that Rangers are “in a really good place” ahead of their seventh competitive meeting with Premier League opposition this century (D1, L5).

Meanwhile, while Rangers are in a really good place, Tottenham are in a really bad place. The visitors come into this game on the back of a home loss to Chelsea (4:3), a result which made it four consecutive games without victory (D2, L2) for the third time in Postecoglou’s reign. So there’s little wonder that supporters are losing patience with the Australian since his bold assertion that he wins silverware wherever he goes.

The Europa League is one competition that hasn’t yet been particularly tainted by Tottenham’s slump, even though they lost their most recent away trip after being unable to recover from a 3-1 half-time deficit away to Galatasaray (L 3-2).

But Rangers are an opponent Postecoglou is very familiar with, having spent two seasons in Scotland. As such, the visitors will be hoping that the Australian can convert his Old Firm experience and positive managerial record against Rangers (W6, D2, L3) to maintain their unbeaten competitive history against Scottish clubs (W4, D2) and propel them into the top-eight