Preview: Rangers vs Club Brugge - prediction, team news, lineups

Rangers square off against Club Brugge at Ibrox on Sunday as Russell Martin commences his reign with the Scottish giants.

This is the one and only official friendly before Rangers feature in the Champions League qualifying rounds.

Match preview

With Rangers having ended last season on a five-match unbeaten run and a win over Celtic under different management, there is at least something for Martin to build upon as he bids to close the gap on their rivals.

However, this is a fresh start for everyone at the club as much as Martin, who will be determined to showcase his possession-based playing style and prove that it can be effective at a high level.

There are already four new faces through the door at Ibrox, Emmanuel Fernandez having just arrived from Peterborough United to join Max Aarons, Lyall Cameron and Joe Rothwell.

More players will be signing on the dotted line in due course, but a game such as this one is about old and new squad members familiarising themselves with Martin's tactics.

After this contest, there will be just 16 days to go until the first leg of their Champions League second qualifying round fixture with Panathinaikos, that having the potential to set the tone for Martin ahead of the domestic campaign.

Sunday's opponents Club Brugge do not enter Europe until the third qualifying round of the same competition, allowing them valuable time to ease back into action.

Nicky Hayen's side had to make do with a second-placed finish in 2024-25, missing out by three points to Union SG.

As it stands, two major additions have been made during the off-season, fees in the region of £5m each being paid for Hamburg midfielder Ludovit Reis and Hannover 96 forward Nicolo Tresoldi.

They join an array of established players who enjoyed a famous run to the last 16 of the Champions League last season, knocking out Atalanta BC along the way, and this represents a stiff test for Martin's first game in charge.

Team News

Fernandez and Rothwell linked up with the Rangers squad for training this week, but they may only be selected on the substitutes' bench for this contest.

The likes of Aarons and Cameron have been with the group for longer and could be handed immediate starts.

As is relevant with both clubs, players who represented their countries during the June international break may not feature here, or at the very least only be named among the replacements.

We say: Rangers 2-2 Club Brugge

With this the first game under a new manager and many players nowhere near to full fitness, any result is possible here. As a result, we are backing an entertaining draw, players wanting to impress but needing to get used to a new system.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Darren Plant

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