Despite playing most of the match with 10 men, Rangers held Athletic Bilbao to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final last week. However, they must now go to San Mames for the return fixture.
Athletic are the favourites with the bookies, but Rangers have not given up hope. Can they pull off a surprise win in the Basque Country?
Athletic Bilbao vs Rangers best bets
- Athletic Bilbao -1 handicap – 21/20 with Betfred
- Athletic Bilbao to win the first half – 17/20 with Spreadex
- Iñaki Williams to score any time – 6/4 with Paddy Power
Athletic Bilbao vs Rangers odds
Find the latest match odds for Athletic Bilbao vs Rangers. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.
Athletic Bilbao vs Rangers predictions
Rangers could hardly have made a worse start to the first leg of this Europa League quarter-final.
In the 10th minute, Davy Propper brought down Athletic Bilbao forward Inaki Williams on the edge of the box. The referee showed him a yellow card, but after a VAR review the punishment was upgraded to a red.
Before kick-off Rangers had been targeting a win on home soil. A man down, their objective from that point on became the avoidance of defeat.
And to their credit, Barry Ferguson’s side did just that. A 0-0 draw was an excellent result in the circumstances.
Rangers showed no shortage of character and resilience to hold out. Liam Kelly saved a penalty from Berenguer and Athletic spurned plenty of chances from open play too. Rangers had to resort to all-out-defence at times, but at least they did not lose.
“That was a proper Rangers performance,” Ferguson, the interim manager, said. “That’s the exact reaction I wanted. That’s what I spoke about on Monday and the players tonight showed a performance full of heart, grit and determination.”
The problem is, a 0-0 draw in the home leg might not be enough. Rangers have been poor at home domestically this season, but Ibrox is still a daunting stadium to visit on a European night. Because of Propper’s early sending-off, Rangers were not able to take full advantage of the raucous atmosphere inside the ground last Thursday.
San Mames also creates quite the din when it gets going, and Rangers are likely to spend much of the second leg with their backs against the wall once more.
With the Premiership title race all but mathematically over, Rangers’ season comes down to this. They will not be short of motivation, then, but nor will Athletic, who are desperate to reach the final at their own stadium.
Ernesto Valverde’s men are now the strong favourites to go through to the semis, where a two-legged tie against either Manchester United or Lyon awaits. But Rangers have upset the odds in the Europa League before and they are now attempting to do it again.
“We are really looking forward to it and I’m very confident,” said Gers midfielder Mohamed Diomande. “I know something great is going to come our way this time.”
Athletic Bilbao vs Rangers betting tips
A place in the semi-finals awaits one of Athletic Bilbao or Rangers on Thursday.
Athletic Bilbao -1 handicap
This could still turn out to be a fantastic season for Athletic Bilbao. As well as attempting to win the Europa League, the Basque outfit are well positioned to finish in the top four of La Liga.
Athletic are fourth at present and they hold a six-point advantage over fifth-placed Villarreal, who have a game in hand.
Valverde’s team are tough to play against. In La Liga no side has lost fewer games than Athletic (four), while only Atletico Madrid have conceded fewer goals.
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They are particularly strong at home, having won five out of five Europa League games at San Mames in 2024/25.
Athletic have what it takes to beat Rangers by a two-goal margin on Thursday.
Choose Athletic Bilbao with a -1 handicap at 21/20 with Betfred
Athletic Bilbao to win the first half
If Rangers are to pull off a surprise win on Thursday, they will need to withstand significant pressure along the way.
With their passionate home fans behind them, Athletic Bilbao will aim to make a fast start to the game.
They have a positive track record in that regard. In La Liga, only Real Madrid and Barcelona have better first-half records this season.
Meanwhile, Athletic have been behind just twice at the interval in the Europa League, while they have held the lead after 45 minutes on six occasions.
We expect the Basques to be ahead at the break.
Tip Athletic Bilbao to win the first half at 17/20 with Spreadex
Iñaki Williams to score any time
Iñaki Williams won the foul that led to Propper’s red card in the first leg and he is set to be key in the return fixture too, along with his younger brother Nico.
Williams Sr. has saved his best form for the Europa League this season. Exactly half of his 10 goals in all competitions have come on the continent.
Williams is an Athletic legend no matter what happens in the remaining few weeks of the 2024/25 campaign.
Needless to say, his status among the club’s supporters would only be enhanced if he were to lead Athletic to Europa League glory.
Do not be surprised if the 30-year-old delivers the goods against Rangers.
Back Iñaki Williams to score any time at 6/4 with Paddy Power
How to watch Athletic Bilbao vs Rangers
- Location: San Mames, Bilbao, Spain.
- Date and time: Thursday 17th April, 8pm.
- How to watch: TNT Sports 2.
Read more about the 2024/25 football season
- Premier League winner predictions
- Premier League top scorer odds
- Premier League relegation odds
- Champions League winner odds
- Championship promotion odds
About the author
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball
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