Оклахома-Сити – Лос-Анджелес Лейкерс ( счет в серии 1:0 ). Кто бы мог подумать, что «Лейкерс» 4.25 второй год подряд во 2-м раунде попадут под «поезд», который может у «укатать» их со счетом 4:0 в серии и даже глазом не моргнуть. Человеком, который может принять самое непосредственное участие в этом процессе, станет Кевин Дюрэнт. Лидер «Оклахомы» 1.22 уверенно ведет свою команду за собой и останавливаться не намерен.

«Озерники» получили «смачную оплеуху» в первом матче, проиграв почти 30 очков! Можно было бы написать, что вот сейчас они соберутся и навяжут борьбу противнику, но на самом деле все, что может помочь «Лейкерс» – это расхоложенность  «Тандер», которые могут раньше времени поверить в легкую победу.

Кобе Брайант с годами становится все старше и старше, и верить в то, что он сможет «тащить» команду на себе – было весьма наивно. Да, есть еще Газоль и Байнем, но эта троица не может противостоять молодой команде из Оклахомы. Именно команде, так как «Оклахома» – это не только команда Дюрэнта! С такими парнями, как Уэстбрук, Харден и Ибака, всегда можно надежно подстраховывать лидера.

Мой прогноз, что серия завершиться со счетом 4:0!

Филадельфия 76 – Бостон Селтикс (счет в серии 1:1) . «Зеленые» неожиданно утратили преимущество своего поля, но как мне кажется, несильно переживают по этому поводу. «Кельты» смогли в этом году перестроить свою игру. И если не найти рецепт «вечной молодости», то явно разобраться в рецептуре сплава «молодости и опыта».

«Ключом»  этого для Дока Риверса стал Рэджон Рондо, который сейчас может показывать свой лучший баскетбол фактически в каждом матче. Да, бывают неудачные игры, но никто не идеален.

Рэй Аллен теперь стал игроком скамейки, но это не только не ослабило игру «зеленых» 2.13, но позволило использовать ветерана как «свежий клинок», который вступает в игру, когда противник слегка измотан. А уж трехочковые броски он будет выполнять и в 80-тилетнем возрасте.

Но «Филадельфия» 1.75 моложе, так что именно в этом и кроется её сила.

Серия равная, но я бы поставил на «Бостон», так как опыта у него в разы больше.

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In fairness to Fabio Capello’s successor, he has had very little time to prepare for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine with his commitment to West Brom not officially over until last Sunday, and he had previously suggested he was largely going to stick with experienced England performers.

With that in mind, there were just two new faces in the squad but there are surely plenty of questions over why some of the players that are set to take their place on the plane next month have made it – with England’s campaign set to get underway on June 11 (England 13/8 to win Group D).

There are just two warm-up games before then for Hodgson, who also confirmed Steven Gerrard will be captain, to finalise his plans – so taking a look at the squad, let’s start with the supposed ‘big calls’.

Rio Ferdinand was probably the biggest absentee and perhaps it was no surprise, given his recent fitness history and the fact that even his manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, had doubted whether he could play games in quick succession.

Still, he would have provided plenty of experience but every footballer has his lovers and haters, and there will be those who believe his best days are very much behind him.

However, John Terry has been included and there will be more doubters about him given his form, discipline issues, the fact that an impending trial forced the previous manager to step down as well as the fact that he has been there and definitely not done it – at the World Cup in 2010.

Barcelona actually looked less likely to score when he had been sent off, while his obvious inability to handle Andy Carroll in both the FA Cup final and subsequent 4-1 drubbing at Anfield led to Hodgson actually including the Liverpool striker – who had almost been a laughing stock in the previous nine months following his £35m move from Newcastle.

What makes the Carroll selection all the more surprising is the fact that he is one of only four strikers. With Wayne Rooney suspended for the first two group games, Jermain Defoe – who has not played a competitive match for England since September 2010 – and Danny Welbeck the others, Hodgson could end up being caught short up front.

Peter Crouch has never done anything wrong for England, in fact he has done a lot right with a fantastic goal ratio for the national side, while there is no place (not so surprising) for the second highest English scorer in the Premier League this season – Grant Holt.

Norwich City, though, can celebrate the call-up of John Ruddy, who has been rewarded for his fine season with the Canaries with his first international recognition.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also wins his first call-up for the impact, albeit limited, he has made for Arsenal this season but little can be said of the impact of Stewart Downing and Theo Walcott (of late), who did make the squad, when Aaron Lennon and Adam Johnson did not.

Kyle Walker has enjoyed a superb season for Spurs but is carrying an injury, although how the versatile Micah Richards has been overlooked is a mystery.

It is, of course, a ‘poisoned chalice’, the England manager’s job, because whoever is in charge is never going to please everyone all the time – in some manager’s cases, any of the time.

The proof is in the pudding, though, and Hodgson will have more idea of the capability of his squad following the first match of the tournament against France (France 13/8, Draw 11/5, England 11/8 Match Betting).

With games against Sweden and co-hosts Ukraine to follow, England will hope that the inclusion of Rooney will amount to more than one game with the Three Lions 6/4 to be eliminated at the Group Stage. Hodgson may already have his doubters but this squad should have enough to at least make it past the first stage. After that, it’s anyone’s guess.

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Cheltenham Town

Goals in each half at Whaddon Road from Jermaine McGlashan and Ben Burgess ensured the Robins head down to the south west with a two-goal cushion, but they cannot simply turn up and dream of Wembley as Torquay will be up for this game – they have to be or any hopes they have of promotion will be quickly dashed.

Torquay (21/20 to win – 90 Minutes) have been struggling for form drastically over recent weeks and the first-leg loss means they come into this must-win game without a victory in six matches – indeed their last win was on April 6 and since then it’s been three wins and three losses.

That poor run ensured Martin Ling’s side missed out on automatic promotion on the final day of the regular season and confidence must have ebbed away even further after the first leg.

Goals are going to be the order of the day for the Gulls but they have to do it without their Player of the Year and leading scorer Rene Howe, as the 14-goal striker limped out of the first leg with a hamstring injury and he will miss the Plainmoor game – and it’s also likely he will miss out on Wembley if the Gulls do pull off the improbable.

Taiwo Atieno (6/1 – First Goalscorer) was the man that replaced him in the first leg and will lead the line at Plainmoor but, with only six league goals to his name all campaign, he doesn’t offer quite the potent threat that Howe would.

Club captain Lee Mansell and Danny Stevens are second and third in the top scorers’ list with 11 and eight goals respectively for the Gulls, so they might need to add to their tally to get Torquay through.

For Cheltenham boss Mark Yates it could be decision time. The 4-4-2 they played in the first leg worked perfectly, so he must choose whether to stick with that or the 4-5-1 that has been used bu the Robins on their travels through the regular season.

However, they do not boast an impressive away record and its seven losses from their last eight away from Whaddon Road – something which must spur on Torquay and their fans.

It is three wins in a row for Cheltenham (13/5 to win, draw 12/5 – 90 Minutes) and they boast a good play-off pedigree, with two previous end-of-season campaigns seeing promotion each and every time.

The boss could select on-loan Everton star Luke Garbutt after he missed the first match while, in what could be a real boost, Burgess is fine to play after needing stitches to a head wound at the weekend.

To some degree the first leg advantage, coupled with Torquay’s recent form, means a trip Wembley is Cheltenham’s to lose. The Robins should have enough to hold on a rampaging Gulls outfit, but if the home side manage to get an early goal it will be squeaky-bum time for those away fans and Plainmoor will be rocking.

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Cheltenham are the current 6/4 favourites for promotion having established a 2-0 first-leg lead from their semi-final with Torquay, with Crewe on offer at 2/1 and Southend at 13/5 to triumph at Wembley.

This tie is finely poised with Crewe holding a slender one-goal advantage following the clash at Alexandra Stadium on Saturday with centre-half Adam Dugdale proving perhaps an unlikely matchwinner – heading home Ashley Westwood’s free kick early in the second period.

The betting suggesting that Southend are certainly not out of it, though, with the Shrimpers hosting the second leg on Wednesday as 10/11 match favourites, with the draw priced at 12/5 while Crewe can be backed at 3/1 to make it a double success.

Of course a draw will suffice for the Railwaymen, which places all the pressure on the Blues, especially as they also only missed out on automatic promotion by a solitary point.

There was 11 points separating these two sides in the regular season so a lot may depend on how Paul Sturrock’s men cope with expectation and pressure – and maybe any nervous tension that transmits from the crowd, if the Seasiders fail to get in front early.

Southend do have a decent record at Roots Hall without being spectacular – they suffered five defeats in front of their own fans during the regular season, while they were also held six times.

Crewe went into the play-offs on the back of a 16-match unbeaten run – seven wins and nine draws – with Southend the last team to beat them, winning 1-0 at Roots Hall at the start of February.

Whether much can be read into that is open to question – Southend also won 3-1 at Crewe earlier in the season and look what happened at the weekend – but it is certainly something that Sturrock’s men can take into the game.

Bilel Mohsni scored the winner in this fixture earlier in the season and certainly looked as though he can cause Crewe plenty of problems in the first leg. He can be backed at 6/1 to be the First/Last Goalscorer and 13/8 Anytime, although on-loan signing Freddy Eastwood leads both markets.

However, Crewe have made themselves hard to beat on the road of late and are unbeaten in seven and, although five of those have been in draws, Alex have taken a point from trips to promoted Crawley and fellow play-off contender Torquay.

Steve Davis’s men have tended to spread the goals around this season with Nick Powell leading the scoring markets for Crewe at 6/1 First/last and 13/8 Anytime – perhaps providing a bit more value elsewhere with Byron Moore on offer at 8/1 and 9/4, while first-leg hero Dugdale is available at 33/1 and 10/1.

All the pressure is on Southend for this one but they perhaps enjoyed better success on the road this term, and in-form Crewe can secure the necessary result to book their Wembley date.

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Roy Hodgson

Starting at the back and Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart is the only man for the job between the sticks, while Robert Green and Scott Carson have been the only other back-ups due to the dearth of talent available and Ben Foster’s steadfast refusal to come out of retirement.

However, Norwich City’s John Ruddy has been in inspirational form this past season and we feel he deserves a chance ahead of Carson, who Hodgson allowed to leave the Hawthorns for a move to Turkey 12 months ago.

Hodgson’s first big job will be selecting the right men to shut out foreign opposition, starting with a huge game against France on June 11 (England 11/8, France 13/8, Draw 11/5 90 Minutes).

The first names on the squad list in previous years have been former skipper John Terry and Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand, who have struck up a strong central defensive partnership for past managers and have over 150 caps between them.

But with the duo at odds over Terry’s upcoming summer trial for allegedly racially abusing the latter’s brother, Hodgson might feel an alternative selection will be the safer option.

If he goes with Terry, who is younger and is arguably more reliable in terms of fitness than Ferdinand, then the obvious choice of partner would be his Chelsea team-mate Gary Cahill.

The duo have played well together in the heart of the Blues’ defence and Cahill has already shown he has the capabilities to be a success against top opposition after helping shut-out Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge last month.

If Hodgson feels Terry’s involvement could divide the squad, then Ferdinand could be the man he pins his hopes on for the finals.

With his Manchester United team-mate Chris Smalling ruled out due to injury, Hodgson could see Manchester City stopper Joleon Lescott as the man who would be ideally suited to Ferdinand.

The duo would complement each other well being a right-foot and left-foot combination and that could work well in the finals.

We expect Ferdinand’s United team-mate Phil Jones to be involved given the youngster’s impressive first season at Old Trafford and his ability to operate at right-back, centre-back or in a defensive midfield role.

However, Jones is more likely to watch from the sidelines as Tottenham’s Kyle Walker is the man to get the nod at right-back with Liverpool’s more experienced Glen Johnson breathing down his neck.

But the fact Johnson has been moved to a left-back role by Reds boss Kenny Dalglish means PFA Young Player of the Year, Walker, has been the best player in that position over the past season and deserves his chance.

Hodgson’s other problem centres on which strikers he will take to the finals given that his options have been depleted due to injury and suspension.

He has already intimated that Wayne Rooney (40/1 Top Goalscorer) will travel despite being banned for the opening two matches against France and Sweden.

Darren Bent is adamant that he will be fit despite being ruled out of Aston Villa’s season with ruptured ankle ligaments since February.

However, we feels it would be too risky to take the forward as a lack of match fitness will work against him when England need their players firing on all cylinders.

Therefore Danny Welbeck is the man who Hodgson will almost certainly give the nod to given the fact he has played the majority of the season alongside Rooney at United which will work in his favour when looking towards the knockout stage (England 13/8 Group D Winner).

Another alternative to Bent would be Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe, who has struggled for game time under Harry Redknapp this season, but always manages to get goals whenever he is pitched into the Three Lions’ team.

Chelsea’s Darren Sturridge is another possibility, but he seemed to drift off the radar in the closing months of the campaign and might well miss the boat.

The fourth striker berth will be a straight fight between three target men – Liverpool’s Andy Carroll, Stoke’s Peter Crouch and Norwich City hitman Grant Holt.

Holt’s 17 goals for the Canaries this past season have led to calls for his inclusion, while Crouch has a fantastic scoring record for England and his presence terrifies continental defenders which is why he would have been a definite selection.

However, £35million hitman Carroll has forced his way to the front of the queue having finished the season strongly, in particular with his recent goalscoring substitute performance in the FA Cup final.

The former Newcastle man has struggled since making the move to Anfield in January 2011, but the signs are he is rediscovering his best form again and that could be timed to perfection for England.

A wildcard pick would be to take Arsenal youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to the finals.

He is an unknown quantity to opposition managers and players and could have a big impact in the finals akin to Paul Gascoigne in the 1990 World Cup and Rooney in Euro 2004.

Although Hodgson could be put off by the fact Theo Walcott was surprisingly taken to the 2006 World Cup by Sven Goran-Eriksson but then did not play a single minute with many feeling he wasted a squad place.

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The Terriers seemingly have one foot at Wembley following a 2-0 win in the first leg on Saturday and they have been installed as the even-money favourites to earn promotion.

Those odds may change in time, with the other semi-final taking place on Monday night, with Sheffield United currently next best in the outright betting at 7/4, Stevenage Borough on offer at 9/2 with the Dons available at 16/1.

Simon Grayson’s men deserved their success at the weekend and have been installed as the 6/5 favourites in the match betting, with Tuesday’s visitors priced at 7/2 and the draw at 12/5.

It may seem strange to see Huddersfield at odds against, particularly after their efforts at Stadium: MK, as well as boasting an impressive home record during the season.

The Terriers only lost three matches at the Galpharm during the campaign, while they conceded a miserly 19 goals – the division’s joint second-best home defensive record.

There will of course be some who see value in the 6/5 but the fact is that Grayson’s men do not have to win the tie to book their place at Wembley on May 26.

A lot may depend on how Karl Robinson’s team approaches the game and of course if they manage to score the first goal – and the rookie boss is certainly making the right noises as far as his club’s fans are concerned.

The Dons have a more-than-decent away record as well with just five defeats on the road as well as 10 wins, which is only bettered by the top three in League One.

The Dons also shared a 1-1 draw at the Galpharm earlier in the season and should not be ruled out at the prices – even though a 1-1 draw at home during the regular season counted for little at the weekend.

Jordan Rhodes put the Terriers on the road to victory in the first leg and it is no surprise that the 36-goal hitman is the 7/2 favourite to open the scoring again, while he is odds on at 4/5 to get on the scoresheet during the match.

Keeping the Scottish international quiet will be key to the Dons’ hopes but what may be music to the ears of the underdogs is that Huddersfield have a history of failing to cope with a bit of pressure.

The Terriers have dropped 28 points from winning positions during the current campaign and, with a two-goal advantage, any concession could see Grayson’s men retreat into their shells to protect what they hold.

Of course, things do not necessarily have to pan out like that but the Dons look good value to win on the night and put Huddersfield’s nerves to the test.

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After a goalless draw in the first leg at Broadhall Way, the Blades – backed by a big home crowd at Bramall Lane – will be confident of beating a team that finished 17 points behind them in the table.

Sheffield United collected 90 points in the regular season, which would in any other year would have seen them gain automatic promotion, but the form of the top two condemed them to the lottery of the play-offs.

The loss of leading scorer Ched Evans has been a major blow to their hopes of clinching the third promotion place, but they have been boosted by the return to fitness of Richard Cresswell (5/1 – First Goalscorer), who made a late appearance off the bench in the first match.

Cresswell, who has 10 goals this term, has the experience as well as the quality at League One level to cause plenty of problems for the Stevenage backline, with the former Wednesday striker expected to partner Chris Porter up front.

The Blades have lost just three times at home this season – the last of those a 3-2 reverse to Oldham at the start of March – but there are some reasons for the visitors to be optimistic of pulling off a shock.

Gary Smith’s side drew 2-2 at Bramall Lane and were a matter of moments away from three points before a late equaliser from United (4/6 – To Score The First Goal).

Wilson’s men have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last seven home games and although Stevenage drew a blank in the first leg, there will be more gaps on Monday as the Blades go for goals.

The Boro (16/1 – To Win From Behind) have have lost just one of their last five away games, and their last two results away from Broadhall Way have seen them draw at Bramall Lane and win 6-0 at Yeovil.

Sheffield United, though, have both the physical presence and overall ability to see off their opponents and, if so, take their place at Wembley as favourites to secure a place in the Championship next season.

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However, these tournaments often produce surprises and it’s not always the big names that come to the fore. Over the last few years we’ve seen the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Andrey Arshavin and Arjen Robben all come of age at the Euros and there are a number of Premier League youngsters who could announced themselves to the footballing world this summer.

The first one to look out for is Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny who is expected to be between the sticks for co-hosts Poland (3/1 to win Group A).

After years of struggling to find a first-class stopper, the Gunners were forced to take a punt on youngster Szczesny and it’s certainly a gamble that has paid off and he’s now undoubtedly the club’s number one.

He has also recently established himself in the international side and his country’s performances will have a lot to do with how he deals with their opponents’ attacking threats.

Real Madrid are rumoured to be keeping an eye on the confident 22-year-old and a string of strong showings in the summer will only help to raise his profile.

Another Arsenal player who could make a big impact is controversial striker Nicklas Bendtner who will lead Denmark’s (12/1 to win Group B) line as they look to progress from Group B.

Whether you love him or hate him, there is no doubt that Bendtner is a talent and he always seems to produce his best on the bigger stages. The 24-year-old has also said that after spending the season on loan at Sunderland, he will never play for the Gunners again meaning he’ll have something to play for as he’ll want to impress.

Despite all his doubters, the Copenhagen-born star does have fans within the game and some good displays in the summer, could persuade one of Europe’s top sides to sign him.

Group C’s Premier League-based player to watch has to be Sunderland and Republic of Ireland (11/1 to win Group C) winger James McLean who, after coming from nowhere this season, will have no fear when it comes to facing Europe’s top nations.

McLean was unknown until Martin O’Neill took over at the Stadium of Light in December but has since established himself in the Black Cats side with a series of dazzling displays.

In this era of patient build-up and intricate passing, the 23-year-old is a totally different animal and his direct running and pace may cause some huge problems, as his trickery could open up teams from the start while his pace could expose tired defences if he’s used as an impact sub.

In Group D there are a number of youngsters to pick from but out of all of them Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck (66/1 – Tournament Top Goalscorer) looks as if he could have a massive tournament.

For years the 21-year-old has been tipped for the top and now looks to be fulfilling the promise after establishing himself in the United first team.

With team-mate Rooney suspended for the first two matches, Welbeck could get the nod to lead the line for the Three Lions and he’ll be confident that he has the ability to fire them to the knockout stages.

With the dual capabilities of being able to both hold the ball up and run in behind, the youngster can cause problems to any defence and this summer could see him emerge as one of the biggest names in the game.

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Россия – Чехия. Я безусловно поздравляю всех с победоносным шествием российской команды на международном первенстве. Сегодняшняя встреча с чешской командой может встать в ряд красивых побед сборной Малкина и Билялетдинова. Но я хотел бы предостеречь всех от настроя типа «всех порвем».

Так как чемпионат мира не выигрывается на предварительном этапе. Все самое интересное будет в 1/4 Финала, когда после двух недель игры в «красивый хоккей» все будет решаться в одной встрече. А вот там мы сможем увидеть, как любая сборная, которая будет соперничать с нашей командой устроить натуральный «анти-хоккей», который будет основан на оборонительных действиях граничащих с героизмом.

При таком раскладе отдельные персонажи будут кататься с Евгением Малкиным по всей площадке и при возможности провоцировать его, а что хоккей такая игра…

Ну а сегодняшний матч наверняка окажется весьма открытым, как для России 1.70, так и для Чехии 3.75 все в принципе предрешено, другое дело – личные счеты. Слишком много чехов играет в КХЛ, так что им есть, что доказать своим российским друзьям.

Верю в Тотал Больше 4.5

Баскетбол. Финал 4-х

ЦСКА – Олимпиакос. Приятной новостью в преддверии финала стало признание Андрея Кириленко MVP этого сезона Евролиги. Личные достижения конечно важны, но когда на кону победа, то такие вещи часто не имеют решающего значения. Готов поспорить, что Андрей с радостью променял бы это звание на титул чемпиона.

Все безусловно ждали в финале ЦСКА 1.25, но вот вторым финалистом прогнозировалась «Барселона». И если «армейцы» смогли выкрутиться из безвыходного положения, то «Барса» уже играет за 3-е место.

Если ЦСКА и в этой игре позволит пропустить 29 очков за первую четверть, то судьба матча будет предрешена.

Возможно в прошедшем матче с «Пао» мы увидели смену поколений в ЦСКА – это когда Шишкаускас, пускай и после травм, но проводит не самый вразумительный матч, а  Алксей Швед в нужный момент «потащил» команду за собой!

Безусловно, в предстоящем матче многое будет зависеть от Кириленко и Хряпы, но возможно Швед и Воронцевич сыграют не менее заметную роль.

ЦСКА – станет обладателем евролиги этого сезона…

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Bolton occupy 18th right now and know that only a victory at Stoke will keep them in the top-flight while 17th-placed QPR will believe that an unlikely point away at leaders Manchester City should be enough for them to avoid the drop.

Following their promotion in 2001, Bolton have largely been one of the mid-table stalwarts of the division, with their strong defensive play and plucky resilience.

However, they have struggled recently due to a number of long-term injuries to key players, as well as a lack of investment within the squad, and now stand on the brink or relegation.

They travel to the Britannia Stadium on Sunday and, as already mentioned, need to win to stand any chance of avoiding Championship football next season (Stoke 11/8, draw 5/2, Bolton 15/8 – Match Betting).

However, it will not be easy as Tony Pulis’ side always present a tough challenge, especially on home soil.

Like many before them, Stoke appear to be rather burnt-out following their first season of European football and have struggled in the second half of the campaign.

However, despite their problems, they still have a number of quality players who could threaten Owen Coyle’s men, most notably Peter Crouch. The lanky striker appears to have come back into form recently and he’ll be looking for another big showing following talk of a potential return to the England squad.

If the Trotters are to survive, they will need a big performance from skipper and talisman Kevin Davies (7/4 to score any time). After an indifferent campaign, the veteran has once again proven his worth in recent weeks, scoring a number of vital goals. He’ll relish the challenge of facing the Potters’ physical defenders and he could score the goal that keeps his side up.

After Wigan won at the Britannia on the final day of last season, Bolton will fancy their chances and should just sneak it in an extraordinarily tight encounter.

In the other match which will have a say on relegation, Mark Hughes takes his QPR team to the North-West to face former club Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium (City 1/7, draw 8/1, QPR 16/1 – Match Betting).

The Hoops have an advantage in that the situation is in their hands and a draw would probably see them survive due to their vastly superior goal difference.

However, they face a Citizens team that knows a win will see them claim their first title since 1968 and after a topsy-turvy season, they will be desperate for the points.

The one to watch for City is undoubtedly Carlos Tevez (4/7 to score any time) who, following his much publicised problems in the first half of the season, has inspired his team-mates since returning to the fold in March. He will be desperate to make the difference at the Etihad so look out for a big performance from him.

Despite the odds being stacked against them, QPR can hold some hope in that they have fared reasonably well against the big teams this year, having beaten the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.

If they are to have any hope of success on Sunday though, striker Djibril Cisse (3/1 to score any time) will need to have the game of his life. The inconsistent Frenchman has scored five in seven since joining the club in January and in the right mood can trouble any defence.

However, City will surely win this quite comfortably and the result could see Rangers return to the Championship after just one season in the top flight.

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