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Malmo v Rangers
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Kick Off: Thursday 26th September at 17:45
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Competition: Europa League
Rangers’ opening Europa League clash of the season sees them travel to Sweden to face Malmo.
The Gers have a proud European record in recent years, making a run to the last 16 of this competition last term and, of course, reaching the final as recently as 2022, when they only lost out on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt.
By contrast, Malmo’s last venture into Europe saw them lose all six group matches in the 2022-23 Europa League.
Malmo v Rangers Best Bets
The Fouls Market will provide the best value in this game, with Vaclav Cerny to commit 1+ foul an excellent bet. The winger, who posted 1.85 fouls per 90 in the Scottish Premiership, is likely to go head-to-head with home left-back Busanello, who likes a tussle and wins 1.38 fouls per 90 domestically.
Dujon Sterling to commit 1+ foul, meanwhile, is also a strong offering. Sterling is set to be played out of position at left-back due to selection difficulties so a price of 1.25 on him to give away one foul in a somewhat unusual role looks generous, especially given that he sits on 1.6 fouls per 90 domestically.
Also look for both teams to score at 1.65. Rangers are finding their way in front of goal in recent matches, having scored 10 in their last four, yet they still have clear defensive weaknesses that will be exploited on the European scene. Malmo at home are a powerful offensive force, having scored four in each of their last two games at the Eleda Stadion, so it would be very surprising if they were muted in this clash.
📂 Malmo v Rangers Cheat Sheet
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📊 Malmo Form and Stats
Malmo boast a remarkable home record that should make Rangers sit up and take notice ahead of this clash. Domestically, they have won 10 of their 11 Allsvenskan clashes at the Eleda Stadion, scoring 31 goals and conceding only four.
European football, though, is a step up on what they experience domestically, which is exemplified by the fact that they have failed to win either of their last couple of European clashes at the venue. They were held 2-2 by PAOK before losing 2-0 to Sparta Prague. Rangers should, therefore, travel with respect but certainly not in awe.
Indeed, Malmo are a team that has shown weakness when it comes to playing in Europe. They have conceded at least two goals in each of their last five games and have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of the six continental matches they have played.
Since the Champions League qualifiers, it’s notable that they have sold a player in the form of Sebastian Nanasi. He is their top scorer in Europe with three goals from four games and has gone to Strasbourg in Ligue 1.
Top domestic scorer Isaac Kiese Thelin (14 goals) has yet to strike at all in European football. He also leads Malmo in shots with 59 (3.76 per 90) and shots on target with 28 (1.78 per 90).
Hugo Bolin actually boasts a higher number of shots per 90 with 3.85 and a similar number of efforts on target with 1.54 per 90, yet he has managed just one shot in his last three games.
Erik Botheim, who has taken their only league penalty, offers the other major threat with 2.7 shots per 90 and 1.33 shots on target per 90. Like his team-mate Bolin, he has been subdued in recent games, with just two shots (one on target) in his last five outings.
When it comes to Thelin, the combative Thelin is their most prolific figure on 2.04 per 90. Left-back Busanello is not too far behind on 1.93 and is a particularly interesting figure because he wins 1.38. The Brazilian has committed at least two fouls in his last six and is a sizeable 2.75 with Paddy Power to do so here.
📊 Rangers Form and Stats
Rangers have blown frustratingly hot and cold this season, yet there are signs that Philippe Clement’s plans are slowly starting to come together. Three of the last four matches have ended in victories, with the Gers keeping three clean sheets and scoring 10 goals in these victories.
Clement, though, remains under pressure because Rangers have lost the big games. A 2-0 loss in Champions League qualifying at Hampden to Dynamo Kyiv saw them crash out of that competition while they were also thumped 3-0 by Celtic in the Old Firm derby at the start of the month.
Cyriel Dessers has been one plus point of the campaign to date. The Nigeria forward has three league goals to his credit and comes into this match having scored a brace against Dundee at the weekend. He has had 2.95 shots per 90 this season domestically as well as 1.82 on target. The 29-year-old should lead the line here.
Dessers is the outstanding threat among Rangers’ likely starters but Tom Lawrence may also post a threat. He has ten shots, including five on target, for the season in the Premiership at a per-90 rate of 2.7 and 1.35 respectively.
Lawrence, meanwhile, is the leading foul maker on 2.7 per 90, a little ahead of Mohamed Diomande on 2.37.
Rangers’ players to watch in terms of fouls in this match are Vaclav Cerny, who will likely be deployed on the right wing, where he will come up against the often-fouled Busanello, and Dujon Sterling, who is set to feature out of position at left-back. They are 1.73 and 1.25 respectively with Paddy Power to make one foul or more.
⚔️ Malmo v Rangers Head-to-Head
Malmo and Rangers have met twice previously, with both of those ties taking place in the Champions League. Rather surprisingly, Malmo have won three of those four encounters.
With the last of these clashes coming in August 2021, with the Swedes winning both legs 2-1, it is unlikely that these encounters will have any bearing on this match. James Tavernier, for example, is the only surviving member of the Rangers squad of that team who could play in this tie.
Remarkably, Rangers have never beaten Swedish opponents in six previous European clashes.
Malmo, meanwhile, have eliminated Scottish opponents Celtic (2015-16 Champions League) and Hibs (2013-14 Europa League) in the last decade on top of their positive results against the Gers.
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* We recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.
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