Europa League Preview: Sturm Graz vs Rangers
Europa League: Sturm Graz vs Rangers
Venue: Liebenauer Stadium, Graz Date: Thursday, 2 October Kick-off: 20:00 BST
Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio Scotland Extra & Sounds, with live text coverage available on the BBC Sport website and app.
Historically, any Rangers team from the past six seasons would likely approach this match against Sturm Graz as favorites, given the Glasgow club's solid Europa League track record. However, Russell Martin's current Rangers squad is struggling to find its footing, having secured only five wins in 15 matches this season amidst unrest and protests against the club's management and head coach.
Last season, under Philippe Clement, Rangers managed to reach the top eight despite a challenging draw, marking their fifth consecutive advancement to the knockout stages of the Europa League. Barry Ferguson and his coaching team guided them to the quarter-finals, where they were ultimately defeated by Athletic Club.
This legacy serves as a benchmark for Martin, especially as he faces a seemingly easier set of fixtures compared to Clement's last year. However, this advantage did little to mitigate the disappointment of their opening home loss to struggling Genk, and Sturm Graz is expected to present a slight increase in challenge.
Sturm Graz: A Weakened Yet Capable Opponent
Jurgen Samuel's team secured their second consecutive Austrian Bundesliga title last season, breaking a decade of RB Salzburg's dominance, and participated in the Champions League. However, their performance in the elite competition was disappointing, with only two victories and six losses, placing them 30th out of 36 teams.
Like Rangers, Sturm Graz faced setbacks in the play-off round this season, losing 6-2 on aggregate to Bodo/Glimt after a disheartening 5-0 defeat in Norway. Their squad appears to be weaker than last season, having lost key players including top scorer Mika Biereth to Monaco and striker William Boving to Mainz.
Scotland right-back Max Johnston, who made 65 appearances and won three trophies during his two seasons in Austria, has also departed for Derby County. The main threat for Sturm Graz is Georgian international Otar Kiteishvili, who plays a pivotal role in their midfield. Despite missing time due to injury and personal matters, Kiteishvili scored 13 goals last season and already has five this campaign.
Although he was a doubt for this match due to personal commitments in Georgia, Kiteishvili is expected to be available for this crucial fixture, especially after Sturm Graz's disappointing 2-0 loss to Midtjylland, the team that eliminated Hibernian in qualifying.
Currently, Sturm Graz trails Rapid Vienna by two points, a team that Dundee United recently took to penalties in the Conference League, and one of only two domestic teams they have lost to this season as they aim for a third consecutive title. If Dundee United can secure a draw in Austria against the league leaders, expectations will rise for Rangers to achieve victory in Graz.
However, football is rarely that straightforward. Martin is already navigating a game-by-game approach as Rangers' head coach. While Sturm Graz is not a team to be overly feared, Rangers have yet to demonstrate they can replicate the Europa League successes of previous seasons.