Rangers announce Bayer Leverkusen friendly at Ibrox during World Cup break

Rangers have confirmed they will play Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen in a friendly at Ibrox next month before the Scottish Premiership returns after the World Cup break.

The German outfit, who are likely to have a number of first-team players on duty for their countries in Qatar this winter, will visit Glasgow on December 10 for a 1pm kick-off as a warm-up match ahead of the competitive action resuming the following week.

Light Blues boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who is currently without 10 players through injury, will hope to utilise the four-week break as a crucial recovery period for many of his stars. There is also a possibility the Dutchman could be missing the likes of Borna Barisic and Antonio Colak, who were both named in the provisional World Cup squad for Croatia.

The two sides previously faced off during the 2019/20 Europa League knockout stage with Leverkusen claiming a 1-0 win at Ibrox after a 3-1 triumph in their home leg.

A statement on the club’s official website read: “Rangers can today announce a friendly with Bundesliga opposition Bayer 04 Leverkusen on December 10, 2022 at Ibrox Stadium.

Xabi Alonso’s squad will provide a strong test for Rangers during the Winter Break ahead of league action returning the following week. The sides have only met each other four times with the most recent occasion being in the 2019/20 UEFA Europa League knockout stages.

The match has a kick-off time of 1pm and tickets will go on sale exclusively to season ticket holders at 10am on Monday 21 November. Season ticket holders who have signed-up to the “home friendlies” continuous credit card scheme should note payment will be taken from Friday 25 November.

MyGers members will then have an exclusive opportunity to purchase from 10am on Monday 28 November before a general sale opens at 10am on Thursday 1 December.

General access tickets are priced at £10 for adults, £7 for concessions and only £5 for juniors. Supporters will also receive five MyGers points for purchasing a general access match ticket.

You can also watch the game in style in one of our VIP lounges with packages starting from only £99 plus VAT making it the perfect early Christmas present. The match will also be broadcast live globally on RangersTV.”