Rangers will need to re-collect and turn their attention to the Scottish Premiership as they face Motherwell on Sunday.
After taking the lead against Liverpool, Rangers suffered a 7-1 thrashing at the Ibrox on Wednesday night, putting an end to their miserable UEFA Champions League campaign. Giovanni van Bronckhorst 's side sit bottom of Group A with zero points and a -15 goal difference after four games, with the Gers no longer able to advance to the knockout stages of the competition.
But, the Light Blues will need to bounce back from defeat on Sunday, with a trip to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership awaiting. A win for Rangers would bring the points gap on Celtic to just two points after Ange Postecoglou's men thrashed Hibs 6-1 at Parkhead.
READ MORE: Rangers free transfer ruled out by Giovanni van Bronckhost as Ibrox boss names 'main options'
Sign up to Glasgow Live newsletter for more headlines straight to your inbox
Ben Davies was deemed for Rangers but Van Bronckhorst confirmed he should be fine for Fir Park. Connor Goldson is injured and with limited defensive options, it means that James Sands or John Lundstram would have to play in that role if Davies was ruled out.c John Souttar, Filip Helander and Kemar Roofe are also doubts for the game, whilst Ianis Hagi and Tom Lawrence are both guaranteed absentees.
So, could Rangers pick up a win against Motherwell on Sunday? We used FIFA 23 to try and predict the score. To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the Rangers squad with the latest injuries and suspensions.
Motherwell vs Rangers score predicted by simulation
We predict that Rangers could set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: McGregor; Tavernier, Davies, King, Barisic; Davis, Lundstram; Sakala, Arfield, Kent; Colak.
We predict that the hosts could set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Kelly; McGinn, Johansen, Lamie, Penny; Slattery, Goss; McKinstry, Spittal, Efford; Van Veen.
Both sides saw a lot of the ball in the opening 45 minutes, with neither side controlling the game in a very even affair. Kevin van Veen looked to continue his fine form for the hosts when he struck the post after 20 minutes, but it was Rangers who went ahead just before the break.
As the game entered added time in the first half, Fashion Sakala injected a bit of energy when he knocked the ball past his marker and broke into the box with ease. Rather than going solo, the winger laid the ball off to Antonio Colak inside the area, and the striker fizzed his effort into the bottom corner for the lead.
Van Veen was a threat all afternoon for Motherwell, and the striker was causing issues for Rangers with most of the home side's chances coming through the Dutchman. And, with 20 minutes to go, some poor defending from Rangers allowed the striker to draw the score level.
Stuart McKinstry charged at the Rangers defence before reaching the byline and cutting a pass back to Van Veen. As the striker looked for a sight of goal, the Gers' defence failed to close him down, and the striker blasted an effort into the far corner to make it 1-1.
The goal was deserved for the home side, with both teams having had eight shots each when Van Veen scored. But, a fantastic striker from Colak saw the Rangers man win the battle of the strikers, sending the Light Blues ahead with minutes remaining.
Ryan Kent drifted in from the left, drawing Ricky Lamie out of position as the defender looked to close down the winger. Kent spotted the gap left behind by Lamie and threaded a pass through to Colak, and the striker drilled his shot into the top corner to secure the win for Rangers.
FIFA 23 predicted final score: Motherwell 1-2 Rangers
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that a Colak brace could secure a 2-1 win for Rangers on Sunday. Motherwell proved a tough test for the Gers in the simulation, and it may well be the same in the real game.
What do you think the score will be between Rangers and Motherwell on Saturday? Let us know in the comments!
READ NEXT:
- Five Rangers centre-back options after brutal Connor Goldson update and fresh Ben Davies blow
- Celtic enter world's top 50 clubs list as Rangers narrowly miss out
- Giovanni van Bronckhorst lifts lid on Rangers dressing room atmosphere after Liverpool hammering
- Rangers 'absolutely crumbed' vs Liverpool as Ally McCoist brands Ibrox hammering 'shocking'
- Connor Goldson Rangers injury latest as Giovanni van Bronckhorst provides update on Ibrox star
