Athletic Club Hosts Rangers in Europa League Clash Tonight

BILBAO, Spain — Athletic Club will host Rangers in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final, looking to capitalize on their unbeaten home record in the tournament this season.

Athletic Club, the only team with a 100% win record at home in the Europa League, has won all five of their matches on their own turf this season. They have a chance to set a new franchise record with a win tonight, as they have previously won five home matches in a European season in 1976-77 and 2011-12.

Captain James Tavernier of Rangers has yet to re-watch the painful Europa League final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt from almost three years ago. “I still haven’t watched a replay of that game. It really hurts,” said Tavernier. His team aims to return to the final and make amends for the past disappointment. “To get to the final felt once in a lifetime, but now we’ve got a really good chance to get back there. We want to give the fans a night to remember. We need to leave the pitch with no regrets,” he added.

As Rangers head to Spain with the score at 0-0 from the first leg, their interim manager Barry Ferguson feels positive about the team’s form. Rangers earned a comeback draw against Aberdeen recently; however, Ferguson noted that striker Hamza Igamane needs to develop his all-around game further. “Hamza did well, but he can do a lot more. There’s no doubt he has quality, but he needs to add other elements to his game,” Ferguson said after Igamane’s goal on Sunday.

Athletic Club’s manager, Ernesto Valverde, expressed respect for Rangers and acknowledged their strong away performance this season. Rangers have been resilient on the road, having lost only once in their last six away matches in Europe. Defending well against a team that has previously outplayed them will be essential when they take on the Basque side.

Inaki Williams, a key forward for Athletic, will not start due to fitness issues, making way for Alex Berenguer in the lineup. Berenguer previously had a penalty saved in the first leg match against Rangers.

Tonight’s match will be crucial for both teams—Rangers need a victory to keep their Europa League campaign alive, while Athletic looks to advance deeper into the tournament at their home ground, which holds over 50,000 fans.

With a reputation for being difficult to beat at San Mames, the home crowd will likely create an electrifying atmosphere that could impact the performance of both teams on the pitch.