Rangers host Panathinaikos in the first leg of their Champions League second qualifying round tie on Tuesday, and we’ve got the best bets and tips ahead of the action.
Russell Martin and a new-look Rangers side take to the field in their first competitive outing of the 2025/26 campaign on Tuesday, as they host Panathinaikos in Champions League qualifying.
The former Southampton manager will be hoping to put on a show for the Ibrox faithful, as the Gers look to take advantage in the tie ahead of next week’s second leg at the Olympic Stadium.
“It’s not going to be a season-defining game. It’s not. It’s a really, really big game,” Martin said in the buildup to his first competitive game as the club’s new manager.
“The season is a long season. We’ll be defined by what we do between now and May.
“I’ve been so pleased over four weeks, but it’s not a long time. Wednesday is going to be a real big test for us to see how far along we are and see how much work we have to do.”
Both sides finished second in their respective domestic leagues last term. Under Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson, the Glaswegians finished 17 points behind eventual champions Celtic, while Panathinaikos, managed by Rui Vitoria, finished 16 points adrift of Olympiacos.
Continentally, Trifýlli were eliminated from the Conference League by Fiorentina in the last-16 last season, and the Gers fell at the quarter-final stage of the Europa League vs Athletic Club.
Should Rangers win over two legs, they will face Viktoria Plzen or Servette in the next round. If unsuccessful, they will face Besiktas or Shakhtar in the Europa League third qualifying round.
Rangers vs Panathinaikos Head-to-Head (H2H)
The Gers and Panathinaikos have only met four times throughout history.
Two of their meetings came during the group stage of the 2003/04 Champions League campaign. Their first meeting ended level at 1-1, and the second finished 3-1 to the Greek outfit.
They also faced off in the Europa League last-32 in 2007/08.
The first leg at Ibrox ended 0-0, before Rangers advanced to the round of 16 thanks to the away goals rule after playing out a 1-1 stalemate in the second leg in Athens the following week.
Despite their advancement, the Gers have never beaten Panathinaikos in 90 minutes.
Rangers vs Panathinaikos Best Bets and Tips
Full Time Result – Rangers To Win @ 13/20
Panathinaikos boast an edge over Rangers in their head-to-head record, but a notable statistic heading into this one is that they have only won one of their last six European away games.
The Gers’ home is famously an intimidating place to visit in Europe too, with some notable results at the venue last term, including wins over FCSB and Union Saint-Gilloise. Additionally, they held eventual Europa League winners Tottenham to a draw at the iconic stadium.
We’re backing Rangers to secure their first-ever win over their Greek counterparts on Tuesday. The best football betting sites in the UK have them as the 13/20 favourites to come out on top.
Over 2.5 Goals @ 3/4
With the hosts still getting used to life under their new boss, we see goals aplenty in this one.
Their new playing style is possession-based and focused on playing out from the back. As we saw when Martin was in charge of Southampton, this can lead to plenty of mistakes.
On top of that, three of Panathinaikos’ last four European matches have gone over 2.5 goals. We’re backing this clash to follow suit at a price of around 3/4.
Anytime Goalscorer – Danilo Pereira @ 13/8
Brazilian forward Danilo has impressed in pre-season thus far, with Martin singing his praises.
The 26-year-old has scored in friendlies against Dunfermline, Barnsley and Hamilton in the leadup to Panathinaikos’ visit and looks set to lead the line at Ibrox, according to reports.
We’re backing the former Feyenoord man to carry his pre-season form into competitive play with a goal in Tuesday’s first leg, priced at 13/8 by leading bookmakers.
His place in the starting lineup could soon be in doubt, however. This is as betting markets suggest that Premier League legend Jamie Vardy is set to join Rangers this summer.
Bet Builder Odds @ 10/3
Rangers vs Panathinaikos Betting Odds
| Match Result | Odds |
| Rangers | 13/20 |
| Draw | 3/1 |
| Panathinaikos | 17/4 |
