Back at home, Rangers are well in-touch of Celtic in the race for the Scottish Premier League. The Gers are five points behind their fierce rivals, but have two games in-hand on the Bhoys.
Sporting on the other hand, are having another very poor season with very little left to play for – except holding on to third place which would actually be an improvement on last season’s fourth-placed finish – as they find themselves 23 points behind league leaders FC Porto and 12 points behind second-placed Benfica.
Despite their poor domestic season, Sporting did get through their Europa League group with relative ease as they finished top with 12 points, four ahead of second-placed Lille, so they aren’t to be regarded as pushovers.
Sporting will have the advantage in this tie in terms of having the second leg in Lisbon, however, Rangers will be looking to score as many goals as possible as Ibrox, and judging by last weekend’s 6-0 hammering of Motherwell, they are already in goal-scoring mood.
However, given by what both sides have left to play for domestically, Sporting are likely to be the most well rested over the course of the two legs and could be hungrier as the Europa League will pretty much shape their season from now on.
History Is On Rangers' Side
Facing Sporting could be seen as a good omen by superstitious supporters as on Rangers’ most successful of European runs, the Gers have beaten their Portuguese counterparts on both occasions.
In 1972, Rangers won the Cup Winners’ Cup and they beat Sporting on aggregate on their way to lifting the trophy.
More recently however, the Gers beat them 2-0 on aggregate in 2008 after a 2-0 away win and a 0-0 draw at home as the Scots progressed all the way to the final of the then-UEFA Cup, where they lost to Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg.
TEAM NEWS
Rangers
The Glasgow giants shouldn't be missing too many players for this tie and may be able to call on Steven Naismith, who, despite being substituted during last weekend's 6-0 hammering of Motherwell, could play.
Lee McCulloch (knee) is definitely out after a cyst in his knee got too bad to continue playing through the pain barrier and is having surgery this week in order to determine whether he will be available again this season, but Kyle Lafferty could feature after being cleared of glandular fever.
Possible starting XI: McGregor; Whittaker, Bougherra, Weir, Papac; Weiss, Davis, Bartley, Lafferty; Diouf; Healy.
Sporting CP
Sporting's injury worries appear to be coming to an end with the likes of Leandro Grimi, Marat Izmailov, Jaime Valdes and Yannick Djalo all looking to be recovering.
However, only the latter has made the squad for the Europa League tie, with the match coming too soon for the other three.
Possible starting XI: Rui Patricio; Joao Pereira, Carrico, Anderson Polga, Evaldo; Djalo, Zapater, Mendes, Maniche, Vuckevic; Helder Postiga.
Prediction
Rangers 1-1 Sporting 
