Supercomputer predicts result of Rangers’ Champions League qualifier vs Club Brugge
Rangers’ hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are currently hanging by a thread as they prepare for the second leg against Club Brugge.
Russell Martin’s side were handily beaten at Ibrox by the Belgian outfit last Tuesday by three goals to one.
Nasser Djiga was among those who failed to impress, with the defender making a catastrophic mistake that effectively handed Club Brugge the lead within the opening three minutes.
With Martin having a miserable start to life as Rangers boss, turning this deficit around would be a real feel-good moment for the club, perhaps providing them a platform to kickstart their season.
Supercomputer predicts Rangers to crash out of Champions League
Rangers are yet to win a league game under Martin, with their draw against St Mirren over the weekend providing even more reasons for supporters to be concerned.
But according to Opta’s supercomputer prediction, things are set to go from bad to worse for Martin as Rangers are expected to lose their trip to the Jan Breydel Stadium on Wednesday night.
- Club Brugge have been given a 56.6% chance of winning the game
- Rangers have only been given a 21.3% of winning the game
- A draw has been given a 22.1% probability of occurring
With the Light Blues travelling to Belgium, being down by two goals, the chances of a miraculous turnaround seem unlikely, especially given the form they have started the season in.
Russell Martin aware of significance of next two games
By the time September rolls around, Rangers could be flying high again, after qualifying for the Champions League and defeating Celtic in the Old Firm to pick up their first league win.
Equally, they could be dumped out of Europe’s most prestigious competition whilst being handed a loss by their most bitter rivals just four days later.
Rangers’ next two games:
- Club Brugge (A) – 27 August
- Celtic (H) – 31 August
With Martin’s future seemingly on a knife-edge, the former Southampton boss is aware of just how significant his upcoming games are.
Speaking to RangersTV after the draw to St Mirren on Sunday, Martin said: “The team is growing, we have the next two games to feel so differently about everything.
“So I understand the frustration, I really do, honestly, I feel frustrated for [the supporters] and annoyed for them that we haven’t got over the line yet in the league.”
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