Rangers vs Club Brugge Preview & Prediction | 2025-26 UEFA Champions League | Playoffs
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These are two sides that appear very well matched ahead of their UEFA Champions League playoff round tie as Rangers welcome Club Brugge to Ibrox in Glasgow.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – Not televised
How to watch online: UK – Amazon Prime / US – Paramount+
Key Stats
- The only previous UEFA matches between these teams were in the group stage of the inaugural edition of the UEFA Champions League in 1992/93 when a 1-1 draw in Belgium was followed by a 2-1 home win for Rangers.
- Rangers and Club Brugge met only last month in a pre-season friendly at Ibrox when the hosts recovered from conceding two goals inside the first 15 minutes to draw 2-2.
- Rangers have won ten of their 13 UEFA matches against Belgian teams (D1 L2).
- Rangers have won all their previous seven UEFA matches at home against Belgian teams.
- Rangers have won their previous two home matches in UEFA Champions League qualifying this season without conceding a goal.
- Rangers are aiming to reach the UEFA Champions League proper for the first time since the 2022/23 season when they qualified via a 3-2 victory on aggregate against PSV in the play-off round (2-2 h, 1-0 a). Their last appearance at this stage of the competition was the following season when they lost 3-7 on aggregate against the same opponent (2-2 h, 1-5 a).
- Overall, Rangers have reached the UEFA Champions League proper 11 times, but only one of those appearances was in the last 14 seasons, with the 2022/23 participation being their first since 2010/11.
- Djeidi Gassama has scored for Rangers in their previous two home matches in UEFA Champions League qualifying this season (three goals in total).
- Aside from their two contests against Rangers in the 1992/93 UEFA Champions League group stage (1-1 h, 1-2 a), the only UEFA fixture Club Brugge have played against a Scottish team was a 1-1 draw away from home against Celtic on Matchday 5 in the league phase of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League
- European Cup finalists in 1978, Club Brugge are the only Belgian club to have reached the European Cup/UEFA Champions League final
- Club Brugge reached the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions last season, losing out 1-6 on aggregate against Aston Villa. They had previously finished 24th in the league phase and defeated Atalanta 5-2 on aggregate in the knockout round play-offs
- Club Brugge have participated in the UEFA Champions League proper in seven of the last nine seasons.
- Club Brugge’s last appearance in the play-off round was in the 2019/20 campaign when they reached the group stage with a 3-1 aggregate victory against LASK (1-0 a, 2-1 h).
- Club Brugge’s 3-2 victory against Salzburg in the second leg of their third qualifying round tie was their 50th win overall in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history.
Rangers vs Club Brugge prediction
Russell Martin’s Rangers have started slowly domestically and they were unconvincing in a 4-2 defeat of Alloa Athletic in the second round of the Scottish League Cup at the weekend. The Bears have produced some impressive performances at home in this competition, against Panathinaikos and then against Viktoria Plzen.
Club Brugge could be about to lose their key player, Christos Tzolis, to Crystal Palace this summer, but the Belgians would remain strong. They produced a remarkable come from behind 3-2 victory over Red Bull Salzburg at the Janbreydelstadion in the previous round before winning away at Zulte-Waregem at the weekend in the league.
Rangers will believe home advantage is enough for them to get at least a goal or two, but Club Brugge are smart and swift on the counter-attack so both teams scoring seems a good bet.
Rangers vs Club Brugge tip: Both teams to score
