Europa League, Quarter-final, Second Leg, Thursday, 04/17/2025, 9:00 p.m.
A 0-0 draw in the first leg? No indication whatsoever as to who will ultimately secure a place in the next round? Admittedly, it could be more exciting! In our Europa League tips this week, we have four teams that will advance to the semi-finals.
In my Athletic Bilbao Glasgow Rangers tip, I take a closer look at two of them – although, of course, neither will progress. The Basques are very strong at home, while the visitors don’t like playing in Spain. BUT: They have been doing well away from home this season.
Well, as you can see from the first few lines of my analysis, it’s going to be damn hard to agree on a bet or even a favorite here. I’ve decided not to underestimate the Scots – because Fenerbahce already did that and regretted it bitterly.
Therefore, my betting recommendation for you is: Rangers to “win” with a handicap of 2:0. In this respect, the Spaniards should even be able to continue their home form, as a modest 1:0 would also see them through to the next round.
I definitely don’t think it’s impossible that we’ll be treated to a fairly defensive affair here; after all, the first match ended without a single goal. A second 0-0? I’ll take it, because extra time and/or penalties are always welcome!
The bookmakers’ prediction
Athletic Bilbao’s home strength (they have won all their home games in this EL season) has of course reached our bookmakers. As a result, the odds for a home win on Thursday are only 1.40.
Glasgow Rangers have already won in Istanbul, Malmö, and Nice in 2024/25, and yet they are now considered the underdogs. The average odds are 7.60, but that is unlikely to bother the Scots.
Another draw after 90 minutes will lead to extra time. The odds are logically set quite high at 4.70, which is due to the home side’s clear favouritism.
AI prediction Athletic Bilbao vs Glasgow Rangers: ChatGPT’s prediction
ChatGPT can be both a blessing and a curse in soccer, especially in a knockout round. In this case, ChatGPT has come up with some interesting suggestions that I would like to share with you.
The tip that implies a high risk is a simple away win. In fact, I wouldn’t completely rule that out, as the Rangers have been really strong away from home this season. With such high odds, however, the “double chance X2” might be a good bet, as it still offers 3.00.
How many goals will be scored here in the end? The AI is going for “under 2.5 goals.” Bilbao has conceded two goals at home, so they defend well. After the 0-0 draw in the first leg, I can well imagine that there won’t be much spectacle again.
If neither team scores here, the third AI suggestion would be correct. Rangers have always scored away from home and currently have eleven goals to their name. So here I would say: YES, both teams will score!
Analysis: Athletic Bilbao vs Glasgow Rangers
It’s been almost three years since Glasgow Rangers fans cried bitter tears. They had to watch their team lose the Europa League final on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Now, in the 2024/25 season, they are looking to repeat their run to the final. The Scots still have a long way to go, though, as they face a tough challenge against Athletic Bilbao. The first leg did not quite produce the desired result, ending in a 0-0 draw.
Not a single shot on target was made, and the team did not even manage 30 percent possession. Of course, there is a reason for the poor statistics: Robin Pröpper was shown a red card after just 13 minutes, leaving his team to focus on defense for the rest of the game.
The center back will of course be missing from the second leg. The performance in the first match against Bilbao wasn’t bad, because although the opponents were clearly superior in terms of numbers and play, they never really looked convincing.
Besides, the fans know that although we are normally known for making our opponents on the island falter, this season everything is a little different and we feel more comfortable away from home – for whatever reason.
Odds analysis
Admittedly, Rangers have been incredibly strong away from home this season. That’s why I believe they can bring their qualities to bear in the Basque Country, and lo and behold: a single goal will earn you odds of 1.65 at Betano.
I can also very well imagine that there will be no winner in the second leg either. Rangers have only lost away to ManUnited, and here they conceded the second goal virtually with the final whistle. The aforementioned “Double Chance X2” gives you odds of 3.00.
At the same time, I think a 1-1 draw is realistic, which would earn you 9.50. In addition to the odds, I also have a great promotional code for you at Betano: with “BONUSVIP,” you can get a $20 free bet with no deposit required.
Athletic Bilbao vs. Glasgow Rangers: Are the visitors being underestimated?
Glasgow knocked Fenerbahce out in the round of 16. After a 3-1 win away from home, they lost 2-0 at home, but kept their nerve in the penalty shootout to reach the quarter-finals.
Playoffs? There were none, as the Scots had a strong group stage. They lost only twice, with the 1-2 defeat to Manchester United coming in stoppage time – it was also their only away defeat.
Eleven goals have been scored away from home, with only Lyon more successful with 13. Rangers have never managed to win four away games in an international season.
A win in Bilbao on Thursday would see them set a new record.
Glasgow doesn’t like Spain!
The problem: Rangers failed to score in their last two Europa League games. They fired off 23 shots against Fenerbahce, but none of them found the target. They cannot afford to be so inefficient in the Basque Country.
Spanish opponents are definitely not a good omen. Glasgow failed to win in Spain 13 times in a row before their latest attempt ended in a 3-2 victory over Betis Sevilla.
And there’s something else that speaks in favor of the visitors on Thursday: Athletic Bilbao has been eliminated from European competition five times in a row when the first leg ended in a draw!
Do the Basque players know that? They definitely hoped for more from the first leg; a team that plays with a man advantage for almost the entire game wants more than just a 0-0 draw. It’s good that the decision will now be made at home.
2-0 against Alkmaar, 1-0 against Slavia Prague, 3-0 against Elfsborg, 3-1 against Viktoria Pilsen and 3-1 against AS Roma, Bilbao is the only club to have won all its Europa League home games this season.
Six home wins in an international season? That’s never happened before, so this is also a first. It’s also impressive that only one of these five wins was close.
0-0, 1-0, 2-0, 1-0, 1-0? The half-time results are also impressive. There have been ten goals conceded in the current competition, only three of which came in the first half – and none of those were conceded at home in the first 45 minutes.
The Basques already relied on their home advantage in the round of 16, when they came back from a 1-2 defeat at Rome’s Olympic Stadium to win the second leg. Lucky are those who have such a strong pair of brothers in their ranks.
In the Europa League, Bilbao can rely fully on Nico and Inaki Williams. The two have scored nine goals between them, while none of their teammates has scored more than one.
Interestingly, Inaki is ahead at Bet365 with odds of 2.50, while Nico’s odds have climbed to 3.00. Incidentally, there has been a home game against Glasgow Rangers before, but that was a long time ago.
In 1969, Bilbao won the quarter-final second leg of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 2-0, but still had nothing to smile about after losing the first leg 1-4. Who was among the Rangers’ goalscorers in the first leg? A certain Alex Ferguson!
My Athletic Bilbao Glasgow Rangers tip:
Are Glasgow Rangers really as hopeless as the odds suggest? In my opinion, Athletic Bilbao are slightly overfavored. The Basques are very strong at home, but they didn’t perform well in the first leg.
Although they played with a man advantage for more than 80 minutes, they weren’t convincing in front of the opponent’s goal. In addition, Rangers have made an excellent impression away from home this season.
They have been particularly impressive in attack, boasting the second-best offense in the league. So Bilbao cannot feel too confident about progressing to the next round, and that’s why my tip is:
A 2-0 handicap will be enough for the visitors to “win”!
