Rangers vs Lyon predictions: Back Gers to light up French foe

Rangers welcome French side Lyon to Ibrox on Thursday, looking to make it two out of two in the Europa League following their 2-0 win over Malmo in the opening match (8pm, TNT Sports 3 & Discovery+).

Philippe Clement’s side go into the game with four wins from their last four matches and they have only lost twice this season; a league defeat to Scottish Premiership champions Celtic and a Champions League play-off reverse to Dynamo Kyiv.

Lyon have had a very different start to season, winning just twice in Ligue 1 against Strasbourg and Toulouse, leaving them 11th in the table with seven points from six games.

They did win their first Europa League game though when they beat Olympiakos 2-0, with former West Ham and Brentford forward Said Benrahma scoring the second goal of the game. There are plenty of other familiar names in the Lyon squad too with former Arsenal duo Alexandre Lacazette and Ashley Mailtland-Niles, and ex-Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha all members of Les Gones.

The two sides have met four times previously with Rangers managing just one win in their first-ever meeting in 2007 on French soil. Since then Lyon have won twice at Ibrox, with the other encounter ending in a 1-1 draw.

Gers are marginal favourites with betting sites to record a first home win over Lyon and will be buoyed by their record in front of their own crowd, having lost just one of their last 17 home games in the group/league stages of this competition with 11 wins in that time.

The Glasgow outfit have bagged 13 goals in the last six games, but Lyon have also found their scoring touch of late, and both teams to score is worth consideration on betting apps.

Pairing BTTS with a home win is potentially a decent option for bettors if Gers can build on recent performances in a vibrant Ibrox atmosphere. You will find value with some new betting sites, but it is William that are offering the best price.

Rangers vs Lyon prediction 1: Rangers to win & both teams to score - 18/5 William Hill

Cyriel Dessers has been in great form for Rangers so far this season with seven goals in 11 appearances, including braces against Ross County and Dundee, and you wouldn’t rule him out getting another on Thursday.

His first goal of the campaign came in the Champions League play-off against Dynamo Kyiv, scoring deep in injury time to secure a 1-1 draw in the first leg.

Since the turn of the year Dessers, who joined Rangers from Cremonese in July 2023, has scored 21 goals in 38 games for club and country which is the best spell of his career so far.

He was unlucky not to score in the last Europa League game against Malmo when he registered 0.9 expected goals and looks a threat, with football betting sites pricing him at 6/1 to open the scoring. We’ll take the slightly safer option of Dessers to score at anytime instead though.

Rangers vs Lyon prediction 2: Cyriel Dessers to score anytime - 43/20 Unibet

Whether you are betting on Rangers vs Lyon or any other sporting event, it’s imperative to practice responsible gambling.

Betting can be addictive and it’s important to stay in control. Gambling should never be treated as a way to make money, even when using free bets, and you should never bet more than you can afford to lose.

The best betting sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self exclusion options, to help them stay in control.

But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don’t hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.