Rangers will be traveling to Germany, hoping to overturn a 3-1 defeat in the first leg of the Europa League. The second leg of the Europa League last round of 16 schedules for Thursday with kickoff at 7: 55 pm.
Both sides will go hard this Thursday with the winner proceeding to take on either Inter Milan or Getafe in the quarter-finals. The quarter-finals of the Europa League schedule later next month. Leverkusen will benefit from the 3-1 win during their last outing in the Europa.
Kickstarting their road to Europa in 2019, Rangers have come a long way to enter the final round of 16 of the competition finals. The side has moved past sides such as Porto, Feyernood, and Braga emerging victorious in each competition.
Steven Gerard will be looking to overcome their first defeat at home ground. A last-minute goal by Leon Baily was enough to offset the tie. Gerrard will be looking to go on the offensive in case he wants a taste of the quarter-finals in his first year in charge.
Leverkusen will be looking to win the title to keep their chances of qualifying for the Champions League alive. The side felt short of a top-four finish in the Bundesliga. There are doubts about whether prolific play maker Kai Havertz will remain in the squad this summer.
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Rangers Head to Head
Both sides have only met once in the Europa with Bayer Leverkusen taking home a 3-1 win. Here is a look at their previous encounters in their respective leagues:
Home
Leverkusen 1-0 Mainz
Hertha 2-0 Leverkusen
Leverkusen 3-1 FC Koln
Schalke 1-1 Leverkusen
Leverkusen 2-4 Bayern Munich
Away
Aberdeen 0-1 Rangers
Rangers 2-0 Coventry
Rangers 4-0 Motherwell
Nice 0-2 Rangers
Lyon 2-0 Rangers
Bayer Leverkusen Team News
German playmaker Amiri will miss out on the clash after coming in contact with friends who tested positive for Coronavirus. Despite heavy links with Chelsea, Havertz sets to take part in the fixture. A missing figure ahead of the clash is Demirbay, who picked up a one-match ban suspension.
Rangers Team News
Leon Balogun will have to sit out on this clash even after signing for the Rangers from Wigan Athletic. Jermaine Defoe has made significant progress in recovering from his hamstring injury. However, the prolific striker will not be fit to start on Thursday.
Prediction and Odds
Rangers will enjoy having played some football in the Scottish Premiership, but Leverkusen only need not concede to proceed.
Leverkusen Win
Goals Under 2.5
Havertz to Score
