Bayer Leverkusen will get their preparations underway ahead of the return of the Bundesliga in January, when they take on Rangers in a friendly at Ibrox on Saturday.
Both sides have been out of action for nearly a month, with this match giving them an opportunity to restore match fitness ahead of the second period of the season.
Match preview
Leverkusen have endured an inconsistent first portion of the 2022-23 campaign, sitting 12th in the Bundesliga table on 18 points from 15 matches played under Xabi Alonso.
Following a poor start to the season, the former Liverpool man replaced Swiss coach Gerardo Seoane at the helm in October, leading to a steady upturn in fortunes at the BayArena in recent times.
Leverkusen are unbeaten in their last four matches in all competitions, with a three-game winning streak in the league restoring confidence amongst supporters that the club is on an upward trajectory.
Alonso has also managed to guide his side by the skin of their teeth into the knockout rounds of the Europa League by finishing third in Champions League Group B ahead of Atletico Madrid, giving Leverkusen hope they can delve deep into the competition in 2023.
On Saturday, Leverkusen will look to utilise this friendly encounter to prepare for their Bundesliga return in January, though the mid-season break in Germany will not see them return to action until later in the month.
Rangers come into this one with a new man in charge, owing to the appointment of former Queens Park Rangers boss Michael Beale in late November.
This weekend, he will be in the dugout for the first time against Leverkusen as he looks to alter the fortunes of a side that have faltered in the Scottish Premiership so far this campaign, lying nine points behind Celtic in second place.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst was relieved of his duties in November owing to a poor run of results, including dropping points to Livingston, St Johnstone and St Mirren alongside some heavy defeats in the Champions League.
Nevertheless, the capture of a new manager and several key players returning from injury could reignite their fortunes as Rangers approach the resumption of the league season.
Facing Leverkusen on Saturday may be the ideal opportunity for Beale to assess his squad, before attentions turn towards their Scottish Premiership encounter against Hibernian next week.
Team News
Leverkusen will be without duo Jeremie Frimpong and Exequiel Palacios, who are still on international duty with their respective nations at the World Cup in Qatar.
Piero Hincapie and Sardar Azmoun could return to the fold, following their elimination at the tournament with Ecuador and Iran in the group stages.
Charles Aranguiz and Patrick Schick are both out of contention due to injury, while Paulinho and Odilon Kossounou may come back in to the lineup on Saturday.
Rangers will be without Borna Barisic for the Leverkusen fixture, due to the Croat still being involved in Qatar at the quarter-finals stage.
Ryan Jack is fit again for selection, while John Souttar, Connor Goldson, Ianis Hagi and Filip Helander may also be permitted some time on the pitch as they step up their recovery schedules.
Tom Lawrence will once again be missing owing to a setback and will not be back until the new year at the least.
Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:
Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Fosu-Mensah, Azhil, Demirbay, Bakker; Diaby, Amiri, Hudson-Odoi
Rangers possible starting lineup:
McGregor; Tavernier, Sands, King, Yilmaz; Lundstram, Jack; Matondo, Tillman, Kent; Colak
We say: Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 Rangers
In a match that will primarily be used for squad rotation, we expect both sides to create plenty of chances as players look to prove their worth ahead of the second portion of the campaign.
On this occasion, Leverkusen will run out as winners due to their offensive quality which will stand them in good stead for the return of the Bundesliga.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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