Glasgow Rangers vs Auxerre

PJ_Quek SG

League UE CUP
Match GLASGOW RANGERS vs AUXERRE
Match No. 0602
Sales Close ^ 15/12/04 9:00PM

1X2

Home 1.98
Draw 3.20
Away 3.20

1/2 GOAL

Home GLASGOW RANGERS (-1½) 3.60
Away AUXERRE (+1½) 1.22

TOTAL GOALS

No. of Goals

0 7.20
1 4.20
2 3.60
3 3.80
4 5.80
5 9.20
6 17.00
7 33.00
8 75.00
9+ 120.00

HALF / FULL TIME DOUBLE

Selection

H-H 3.50
H-D 13.00
H-A 27.00
D-H 5.00
D-D 5.00
D-A 6.00
A-H 19.00
A-D 14.00
A-A 5.90

PJ_Quek SG

High stakes at Ibrox

With AZ Alkmaar being the only qualifiers from Group F so far, this match pits Rangers FC, who need to avoid defeat at Ibrox in order to reach the next phase, against AJ Auxerre, whose need is to match the result of Grazer AK, in the other group game, in order to also qualify.

Auxerre upper hand

The clubs have met before in UEFA club competitions, in the group stage of the 1996/97 UEFA Champions League, and Rangers will be looking for revenge in this game after Auxerre won both games. Auxerre began with a 2-1 win at Ibrox on matchday two when two second half goals after 55 and 69 minutes from Thomas Deniaud had given them control. Paul Gascoigne was on target for Rangers after 71 minutes. The French club then confirmed their position as group winners on matchday six with another 2-1 win in the return match. Lilian Laslandes and Steve Marlet gave the home team the perfect start with goals after 20 and 32 minutes, but Rangers fought back with a Richard Gough goal after 38 minutes. There was no further scoring, as Auxerre went forward only to lose to the eventual winners BV Borussia Dortmund 4-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals. Rangers finished bottom of the group.

Enormous experience

While those two games also remain as the only games that Auxerre have played against Scottish clubs in UEFA club competitions, Rangers have played 21 previous games against French teams with seven wins, five draws and nine defeats. The form guide at Ibrox Park also gives French clubs a slight edge. Of ten games played Rangers have won three, drawn three and lost four. The Scots began the series well, winning three of the first four encounters, but have not won against a French club at Ibrox since a 1-0 win in the first round of the 1971/72 UEFA Cup Winners Cup against Stade Rennais FC which secured a 2-1 aggregate win. That success brings back happy memories for the Glasgow club. A goal after 37 minutes by Alex MacDonald was not only the last time that Rangers have beaten a French club at home. It was a winning start to a campaign that ended in success at Barcelona's Camp Nou, with Rangers winning their only European trophy to date after 3-2 victory against FC Dinamo Moskva in the final.

State of play: Group F

AZ Alkmaar have qualified and will be joined by Rangers FC if the Scottish side - second with six points - avoid defeat at home to AJ Auxerre. Auxerre are two points behind, ahead of Grazer AK on goal difference, and they need only match Grazer AK's result at home against AZ to be sure of qualification, unless there is a drastic change in goal difference. Rangers will only be knocked out if they lose and GAK win, or if Auxerre win by nine goals and the Austrian side draw.