Rangers vs Bayer Leverkusen: How to watch friendly clash on TV, live stream, kick-off time and team news

Michael Beale will kick-start his Ibrox reign this weekend as Rangers step up their preparations ahead of the return to domestic action with a mid-season friendly against Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen.

The Light Blues welcome the German giants to Govan for the second time in three seasons for a glamour tie that will allow fans an opportunity to get their first glimpse of how Beale’s side are shaping up heading into the second half of the season.

The 42-year-old Englishman replaced Giovanni van Bronckhorst in the Gers hot seat on a three-and-a-half year deal last month, just over a year after he initially left the club to join Steven Gerrard’s coaching staff at Aston Villa.

After taking his first steps into management with English Championship side QPR in the summer, Beale found the chance to return north of the border and take on the Light Blues job too good to turn down. He will be determined to put his own stamp on things and make an immediate impact by getting disgruntled supporters back onside.

The newly appointed boss will name his first starting line-up on Saturday when his team entertain a mid-table Leverkusen side, who currently sit 12th in the Bundesliga with 18 points. Fans will be intrigued to see if Alfredo Morelos or Ryan Kent feature amid ongoing contract discussions with the attacking pair in the final six months of their current deals.

Rangers had been due to face Swansea City in a behind closed doors match at the club’s Auchenhowie training ground earlier this week, but that friendly was cancelled in order to provide Beale and his backroom team with additional time to work with the players on the training pitch.

Bayer Leverkusen will travel to Scotland without a number of first-team regulars including ex-Celtic defender Jeremie Frimpong who is still involved with the Netherlands World Cup squad ahead of their quarter-final tie against Argentina on Friday.

The two sides last met in the 2019/20 Europa League Round of 16 where the Germans advanced following a 4-1 aggregate success. Like Rangers, they also have a new manager in charge with former Liverpool and Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso appointed towards the end of last season.

Leverkusen finished third behind FC Porto and Club Brugge during their Champions League group stage campaign but did enough to hold off Atletico Madrid on goal difference to secure a Europa League knockout spot. Having won their last four matches prior to the domestic break, the Germans w

We’ve gathered all the information you need on the match and how to watch it below…

Where is the game taking place & what time does the match kick-off?

Who: Rangers vs Bayer Leverkusen

What: Mid-season friendly

Where: Ibrox Stadium, Govan

When: Saturday, December 10th – kick-off 1pm (UK time)

How to watch on TV – Is there a live stream?

No, unfortunately the game will not be broadcast live on domestic TV. However, subscribers in the UK and Ireland and overseas can stream the game through RangersTV.

What’s the team news ahead of Rangers vs Bayer Leverkusen?

Michael Beale will be presented with his first opportunity to test out a number of things he has implemented on the training ground over the past 10 days. He has spent time assessing his squad’s strengths and weaknesses ahead of what promises to be a very tough test.

The club’s injury wores have been well documented and Beale has inherited a side containing multiple absentees. However, the likes of Antonio Colak, Ryan Jack and Kemar Roofe are expected to have overcome recent knocks.

Question marks remain over the fitness of several others including centre-back trio John Souttar, who has been absent since August, Connor Goldson and Filip Helander. Tom Lawrence and Ridvan Yilmaz remain doubts.

Playmaker Ianis Hagi is in the final stage of his rehabilitation from a long-term knee injury, while Leon King has trained after recovering from concussion sustained during the Scottish Premiership clash against St Mirren last month. Academy youngsters Zak Lovelace, Adam Devine and Charlie McCann have all trained with the first-team under Beale’s tenure so far and could be handed game time.

Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso also has major personnel problems and will be without the services of Ivorian defender Odilon Kossounou, Chilean international Charles Aránguiz, Czech Republic striker Patrick Schick and Brazilian midfielder Paulinho because they are still recovering from recent injuries.

However, the Spanish legend still has a wealth of talent at his disposal. German wonderkid Florian Wirtz, who has missed ever match since early Marsh due to a broken finger, could feature along with first-choice goalkeeper and captain Lukáš Hrádecký who should take his place between the sticks. Other notable names in their squad include on loan Chelsea attacker Callum Hudson-Odoi, former Manchester United defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah and experienced winger Karim Bellarabi.