Rangers v Athletic Bilbao result predicted by supercomputer
Rangers take on Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday.
The Ibrox club suffered yet another setback in their disappointing domestic season on Saturday when they were beaten 2-0 at home by Hibernian.
The Bears were unable to reply after Dylan Levitt put Hibs ahead before Martin Boyle sealed the two-goal victory for the visitors.
Barry Ferguson’s men have failed to win at Ibrox since 2 February, but their progress in the Europa League has been impressive.
Rangers set to suffer Europa League defeat to Bilbao
Opta’s Supercomputer has predicted that Bilbao has a 52.9 per cent chance of beating Ferguson’s side at Ibrox on Thursday.
That leaves the Gers’ chances of victory at just 24.3 per cent, while a draw stands at 22.8 per cent.
| Opponent | Result |
| Celtic (A) | 2-3 W |
| Dundee (A) | 3-4 W |
| Hibernian (H) | 0-2 L |
Light Blues supporters, though, will be hoping that their side can conjure up a somewhat unlikely victory over Ernesto Valverde’s side.
Rangers will have to be at their very best to beat Bilbao
Bilbao have proven their quality this season and currently sit fourth in La Liga, six points adrift of third-place Atletico Madrid.
Valverde’s men have not lost since suffering a 2-1 defeat to Italian giants Roma in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie on 6 March.
Bilbao successfully bounced back from that loss when they beat Claudio Ranieri’s side 3-1 in Spain on 13 March, to set up their meeting with Rangers.
The La Liga outfit are a strong side that boast top-drawer players such as Nico Williams, who played a key role as Spain won the European Championships last summer.
But the Gers have a great record at Ibrox in the Europa League this season and showed their strong mentality when they beat Fenerbahce on penalties last month after suffering a 2-0 defeat in the second leg of their last 16 clash with Jose Mourinho’s men.
To overcome Bilbao, Ferguson and Co will have to dig deep once more.