Champions League Tuesday predictions: Too much to do for Gers

Liam Flin
Spotlight
Giovanni van Bronckhorst's Rangers may pay for their disappointing start last week and look to have too much to do against Union
Giovanni van Bronckhorst's Rangers may pay for their disappointing start last week and look to have too much to do against Union

Rangers and Monaco are among the teams involved in the Champions League third qualifying round with the second legs of those ties taking place on Tuesday. 

There is still plenty of work to do to reach the tournament proper with 10 games in total coming up to determine which teams progress to the final play-off round.

Rangers vs Union Saint-Gilloise (Tuesday, 7.45pm BST)

Rangers were stunned in the away leg of their qualifying tie with Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise, who established a 2-0 lead in the tie at Den Dreef. 

That will be a tricky deficit to overturn and the Gers will be well aware that this was the stage of Champions League qualifying in which they crashed out last season. 

The stats

Competition form does not bode well for Rangers with the Glasgow side having lost their last three matches in Champions League qualifiers. 

However, they reached the final of the Europa League last campaign and won five of their seven home fixtures in that continental competition. 

Prediction

Rangers have to play on the front foot in this contest and can come out on top at Ibrox after starting their league campaign with wins over Livingston and Kilmarnock. 

That said, they could face some resistance from the Belgians, who shut Rangers out last time and conceded only 27 goals in their 34 regular season matches in the Belgian First Division last term. 

A low-scoring win for the Scottish hosts looks the most likely outcome. 

PSV Eindhoven vs Monaco (Tuesday, 7.30pm BST)

It is all to play for in the most eye-catching Champions League third qualifying round tie between PSV and Monaco, who drew 1-1 in the first leg at the Stade Louis II. 

The stats

These sides locked horns in the group stage of last season's Europa League and Monaco took four points off their Dutch counterparts, winning the away fixture 2-1 and drawing 0-0 at home. 

They were unbeaten in their six matches in the group stage and topped the section, whereas PSV finished with two wins, two draws and two defeats and dropped in to the Conference League. 

Prediction

Philippe Clement's Monaco won their opening Ligue 1 game on the road
Philippe Clement's Monaco won their opening Ligue 1 game on the road

It was a tight first leg between these sides but Monaco's European pedigree should count for something and, given they are unbeaten in 13 competitive matches stretching back to March, they are the side to watch in this one. 

A Monaco victory on the road looks appealing, particularly with Philippe Clement's men having opened their Ligue 1 campaign with an away win at Strasbourg, in what looks like a cracking match-up. 

Sturm Graz vs Dynamo Kyiv (Tuesday, 7.30pm BST)

Dynamo Kyiv prevailed 1-0 in the first leg of their qualifier with Sturm Graz in Lodz, Poland although there was little to choose between the two sides on the night.

The stats

Sturm Graz are no strangers to low-scoring matches with three of their last four competitive assignments featuring under 2.5 goals. 

The Austrian Bundesliga club's most recent European campaign saw them finish rock bottom of their Europa League group last season with four defeats in six games. 

Prediction

There was not a lot in it in the first leg as Dynamo Kyiv scored with their only shot on target and this could be another tight one. 

With home advantage this time around, Graz might well expect an improvement but Kyiv will not have to chase the game and could prove a tough nut to crack.

Dynamo held Fenerbahce to a 1-1 draw in Turkey in the last round, before winning in extra time, and a repeat scoreline looks tempting.

Tags

Champions LeagueRangersPSV EindhovenMonacoSturm GrazDynamo Kyiv