Football Bet of the Day for Tuesday: The opening legs of European qualifiers can often be cagey affairs, but there’s little to suggest this will be one of them. Rangers are under pressure to seize control at home, but their fluid front line is still developing chemistry, while their back four is unlikely to be fully settled.
One of our trusted experts, known for his deep knowledge of European football, has picked this game as Today’s Best Bet, and the selection makes plenty of sense.
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⚽ Football Bet of the Day
Rangers vs Panathinaikos
Herrin Kendrick; Sports journalist at BettingTips4You
Both Teams to Score – Yes | |
7/10 - odds when tipped |  |
Reasoning Rangers will want to make Ibrox count, but they may find themselves undone at the back by a capable Panathinaikos outfit. Expect entertainment and a scoreline that reflects both sides' strengths going forward. Both teams to score is the standout selection across Tuesday’s fixtures, and the price offers real value in what should be a competitive and open first leg in Glasgow.
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📈 Three Key Stats Behind Today’s Best Bet
- 3 attackers from Panathinaikos hit double figures last season (11 goals each).
- Rangers have conceded in all of their last 4 European home games.
- Panathinaikos have scored in 6 of their last 7 European away fixtures.
Rationale:
Rangers are set to welcome Panathinaikos to Ibrox in a crucial first leg of their Champions League second qualifying round. The Scottish outfit will be desperate to make their home advantage count, but they face a Greek side who possess significant firepower and won’t arrive in Glasgow just to defend.
Rangers ended last season in second place in the Scottish Premiership, 17 points adrift of Celtic, meaning they enter the qualification phase without momentum from a title-winning campaign. Since then, they’ve undergone a substantial squad overhaul, with eight new faces including Oscar Cortes joining up, while others have departed. With so many new players still integrating, continuity is lacking, and defensive cohesion may be tested early in the season.
Russell Martin’s team have had limited pre-season action — just one friendly so far, a 2-2 draw with Club Brugge. That game showed attacking intent but also revealed frailties at the back, with Brugge finding the net twice and creating further opportunities.
Panathinaikos, meanwhile, arrive with a strong attacking trio. Fotis Ioannidis, Tete and Filip Djuricic all found the net 11 times last season and are expected to lead the line again. Though they’ve not been in the Champions League group stages since 2011, they’ve been steadily rebuilding and come into this tie with a clear goal: grab a precious away goal to take back to Athens.
Rui Vitória’s men, like Rangers, are early in their preparations, but they’ve played more friendlies and have an edge in terms of match sharpness. Their summer additions, such as Pedro Chirivella and Alban Lafont, provide quality and experience in midfield and goal respectively.
Given both teams’ attacking options and recent defensive inconsistencies, goals at both ends seem a logical outcome. Rangers have quality going forward, particularly with Danilo leading the line and supported by Dowell and Cortes. Yet, they look vulnerable defensively, and Panathinaikos have enough individual class in their attack to capitalise.
This feels like a match where both teams are capable of finding the net, particularly as the hosts push for an early lead and the visitors look to snatch an away goal.
✅ Best Bet: Both Teams to Score – Yes
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