Derek McInnes will take charge of Rangers for the first time at Ibrox when they host Saint-Etienne in a friendly on Wednesday.
Arguably, Les Verts' most famous day came in Glasgow, when they lost the 1976 European Cup final at Hampden Park 1-0 to Bayern Munich, having previously beaten the Gers 4-1 on aggregate in the second round.
They are in Ligue 2 after losing last term's promotion/relegation play-off to Nice and have drawn 2-2 with Biel and lost 1-0 to Servette in pre-season.
They begin their league campaign at Sochaux on 8th August, while following a training camp in Spain, Rangers have this game and then Sunday's friendly with West Ham before starting their latest tilt at the Scottish Premiership title at Dundee United on 31st July.
With the first leg of their Europa League third-round qualifying tie against Jagiellonia Bialystok scheduled for the following Thursday, McInnes needs to get his side firing quickly.
Rangers v Saint-Etienne Tips Summary
Best Bet - Rangers to win and over 2.5 Goals @ 6/4
Alternative Bet - Half-time Correct Score - Rangers 1-0 @ 11/4
Bet Builder - Rangers to win, Most Goals in 2nd Half and Over 3 Goals @ 13/2
Rangers v Saint-Etienne Prediction
Best Bet - Rangers to win and over 2.5 Goals @ 6/4
Last season, McInnes came agonisingly close to guiding Hearts to their first league title since 1960, but they lost to Celtic on the final day, with the Bhoys taking the crown.
Rangers were third, yet finished 10 points behind their Glasgow rivals and struggled to recover from a slow start under Russell Martin.
McInnes, who played for the Gers between 1995 and 2000, has brought Cammy Devlin and Lawrence Shankland with him from Tynecastle on free transfers, while Ivor Pandur is an excellent goalkeeper and Ross McCrorie, Dan Neil and Ben Godfrey could all be shrewd acquisitions.
Saint-Etienne boss Ian Cathro also had a spell in charge of Hearts between 2016 and 2017 and has been backed by ambitious owners, the Kilmer Group, who have signed what they hope will be hidden gems from Scandinavia and Austria.
More incomings are expected for both teams and Wednesday's friendly could be open as the players and their coaches get to know each other.
Martin's first game in charge at Ibrox was a 2-2 friendly draw with Middlesbrough, and after working hard in Spain, McInnes' home bow could end in an entertaining victory.
Alternative Bet - Half-time Correct Score - Rangers 1-0 @ 11/4
The mood will be positive at Ibrox, with confidence high about McInnes' chances of making the team more competitive after largely drifting since reaching the 2021/22 Europa League final.
He will demand a fast start and the Gers are backed to lead 1-0 at half-time.
That has been the scoreline at the interval in both of Saint-Etienne's pre-season outings, leading Biel before trailing to Servette on Saturday.
The game may open up when McInnes and Cathro make changes after the break, but the first 45 could be more tactical and Rangers can shade it.
Rangers v Saint-Etienne Bet Builder Tip
Rangers to win
Most Goals in 2nd Half
Over 3 Goals
Pays 13/2
Rangers are expected to make a winning start under McInnes, but may have to wait for the game to open up.
With just one goal in the first halves of Saint-Etienne's two previous pre-season games, there could be more goalmouth action in the second half.
That lends itself to more than three goals in the match, which was the case in Rangers' first pre-season game last year, the 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough.
Key Match Stats
This will be Rangers' first game at Ibrox under Derek McInnes
Saint-Etienne have drawn 2-2 with Biel and lost 1-0 to Servette in pre-season
The clubs previously met in the second round of the 1975/76 European Cup, with Les Verts winning 4-1 on aggregate
Rangers' first pre-season game ahead of the 2025/26 campaign was a 2-2 draw against Middlesbrough under Russell Martin
Both of Saint-Etienne's pre-season games have been 1-0 at the break
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
