Rangers vs. Slavia Prague – Europa League, March 18, 2021

Following a tight first leg in Czechia, Slavia Prague faces Rangers at Ibrox on Thursday, March 18, for the second leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie.

The two sides drew 1-1 a week ago, despite Slavia dominating large spells of the game. But having recently secured the Scottish Premiership title, the Gers will be confident of getting the job done on home soil.

I assess the betting odds before sharing my Rangers vs. Slavia Prague prediction and pick.

The leading online sportsbooks clearly believe that Rangers (2.15) have the upper hand heading into the second leg. After all, Steven Gerrard’s men are yet to taste defeat at Ibrox this season.

That said, Slavia Prague (3.40) knows what it takes to get the better of a British team away from home in the Europa League. The Czech champions knocked out Leicester City in the previous round, making them a genuine threat.

Across the Scottish Premiership and the Europa League, Rangers have played a total of 44 games this season. Remarkably, they have avoided defeat on every single occasion.

Along with 28 wins and four draws in 32 league matches, Gerrard’s men have registered nine wins and three draws in Europe. In the Round of 32, the Glasgow outfit crushed Royal Antwerp 9-5 on aggregate, having already seen off Benfica, Standard Liege, and Lech Poznan in the group stage.

With the domestic title wrapped up, the Gers can now put all of their energy into the Europa League.

Goals from Ryan Kent, Ianis Hagi, and Alfredo Morelos saw Rangers claim a comfortable 3-0 win over St. Mirren on Saturday. Better still, that was their 24th Premiership shutout this term, meaning they have kept a clean sheet in 75% of their league games this season.

With Morelos (15 goals, 12 assists) and Kent (11 goals, 13 assists) shining at the other end of the pitch, the Scottish champions are solid in every department.

Meanwhile, a 3-0 win over Mlada Boleslav on Sunday maintained Slavia’s unbeaten status in the Czech First League this season. The Red and Whites have picked up 19 wins and four draws in 23 domestic games, scoring a whopping 66 goals while conceding just 15.

But unlike Rangers, Slavia has lost a couple of games in the Europa League this term.

Defeats to Hapeol Be’er Sheva and Bayer Leverkusen saw Jindrich Trpisovsky’s men finish second in Group C – three points behind Leverkusen. However, they flexed their muscles and sealed a hugely impressive triumph over Leicester in the Round of 32.

Last week, Nicolae Stanciu got his side off to the perfect start. The Romanian attacking midfielder scored after just seven minutes, although Filip Helander equalized for Rangers.

The Red and Whites have continuously defied the odds this season. But then again, so have Rangers.

Admittedly, I predicted that Rangers would win the first leg. Unfortunately, Gerrard’s men could only manage a draw away from home. But I’m backing them to secure the victory at Ibrox.

The Czech champs should be given huge credit for their efforts this term. However, I’m expecting their Europa League journey to come to an end on Thursday.