Europa League: And Now from Glasgow to the Basque!

Athletic Bilbao vs Rangers

After holding Athletic Club to a goalless draw in Scotland, Barry Ferguson’s Glasgow Rangers are now about to make the return trip to Bilbao with hopes of pulling off one of the big Europa League 2025 results of the tournament. 

The Gers will face Ernesto Valverde’s team as underdogs. They meet a La Liga side in fourth place in the Primera Division, ready to join next season’s Champions League and with players who starred in Spain’s 2024 European Championship triumph; and the Basque men have the 2025 Europa League title firmly in their sights.

Bilbao were expected to take a first-leg lead away from Glasgow but Rangers held out for a draw despite Robin Propper being sent off in the first half. And then Rangers delayed Celtic’s Scottish title celebrations on Sunday when they drew 2-2 away to Aberdeen. Can the Gers upset the odds for a third match in succession?

 

Talking Points

Bilbao warm up in style

Ferguson’s men face a team in form, and Athletic Bilbao prepared for this second leg in style with a 3-1 win over Rayo Vallecano to cement their place in the La Liga top four. They entered the second half a goal down but they roared back as Oihan Sancet scored a double, and Euro 2024 star Nico Williams bagged the third with a stunning long-range effort.

Valverde will be delighted his team returned to scoring form in such style, in that action-packed 45 minutes, particularly after they recorded a third consecutive 0-0 draw when they met Rangers last week. A goalless stalemate away to Villarreal wasn’t a bad result by any measure, but blanks at home to Osasuna and then the Gers were disappointing and the Bilbao coaching team and players will be pleased that the run is behind them. With Nico Williams on four Europa goals, his brother Inaki on five and Sancet back in form they will return to the San Mames full of confidence.      

The Europa League 2025 betting odds have installed Bilbao as the tournament favourites, so Valverde’s team look highly likely to be in the Champions League next term, and they will be determined to go there as Europa League champions.   

 

Stubborn Rangers are in the mood  

Even though Ferguson made nine changes to his team to face Aberdeen, the way they fought back to earn a point and, more importantly stop Celtic’s celebrations, will have delighted the boss. And they will need all their fighting spirit to live with Bilbao again on Thursday. 

Celtic were literally a minute away from lifting the SPL title when Ianis Hagi scored his dramatic 96^th-minute leveller, and that after the Gers had been reduced to ten men again when 21-year-old winger Ross McCausland had been sent off. After the game Hagi said: “Coming down from 2-0 with ten men, it says a lot about how much we wanted to come here and win. The full focus now is on Thursday. We want to go through, we have to; we want to give something back to the fans, get into the next round and finish this season on a high”

Ferguson has a choice to make on his last line of defence. He took the brave decision to leave out the experienced Jack Butland, and sub keeper Liam Kelly put in a brilliant and brave display, making a series of saves including a late penalty. The Rangers academy graduate has done enough to earn another chance; and he is sure to be a busy boy again.   

 

History

Athletic Club are eight times La Liga champions but are yet to taste success in Europe, while Rangers are 55 times Scottish champions.  

With three wins and three draws, the Basque giants are in good form while Rangers’ have been inconsistent, with three wins, two draws and one defeat from their last six outings. Bilbao are unbeaten in seven games at the San Mames Stadium and Ferguson’s men have a mighty challenge ahead of them to interrupt that trend.  

 

Betting Tip

With the hosts at a SBOTOP price of 1.33, the draw is at 4.42 and the Gers are out at 6.70 to spring a mighty surprise. There is a big gap between the two clubs.   

While Barcelona and Real Madrid fight it out for the La Liga title, Athletic Club are in the next two in one of the top four leagues in football. In contrast, Rangers are second in a league which has only ever been won by themselves or Glasgow Celtic. Even before the inception of the SPL, the last time a club outside the Old Firm were Scottish Champions was Aberdeen back in 1985. That is not to be disrespectful but these two clubs come from different worlds and I think it will show on Thursday.   

   

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