On Thursday, Rangers will face Aris Limassol in the Europa League, looking to secure back-to-back wins in the competition. Aris Limassol, on the other hand, will be aiming to earn their first points of the group stage after suffering a defeat to Real Betis in their opening fixture.
Aris Limassol, who won their first-ever Cypriot First Division title last season, entered the Champions League qualifying rounds but fell short and dropped into the Europa League playoff round. They secured their spot in the group stage by defeating Slovan Bratislava. However, their domestic form has been underwhelming recently, with a draw and a loss in their last two matches.
Rangers, after finishing second in the Scottish Premiership last season and failing to advance in the Champions League, entered the Europa League group stage. They started their campaign with a victory against Real Betis, but suffered a defeat to Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership over the weekend, leading to the departure of manager Michael Beale.
Aris Limassol will field a similar starting lineup to their match against Sparta Prague, with Yannick Gomis and Mariusz Stepinski vying for the lone striker role. Aleksandr Kokorin will play a key role behind the striker. Rangers, on the other hand, have several players sidelined with injuries, including Nicolas Raskin and Kemar Roofe. Connor Goldson and Ben Davies are expected to start in the defense.
In terms of predictions, Rangers are favored to win the match with a scoreline of 2-1. They will be motivated to bounce back after their recent defeat and the departure of their manager. Aris Limassol, however, will put up a tough fight in Cyprus.
Overall, it will be an interesting clash between Aris Limassol and Rangers, with both teams looking to make progress in the Europa League group stage.