Scottish sides have endured a tough season in Europe so far this term with the countries coefficient advantage being slashed during a disappointing campaign.
Celtic slumped to defeat to RB Leipzig to drop to the bottom of their Champions League group, while Rangers defeat in Liverpool left Gio van Bronckhorst's men without a point or a goal in Group A. Hearts have notched the only win so far in the group stage victory so far this term in the Conference League victory when they saw off FS Riga, but concerns are growing over the impact on Scotland's coefficient score.
Coefficient points for a nation is calculated by the average points obtained. This works by dividing the total points a team accumulates by how many of them are represented in European competition. Each victory is worth two coefficient points, with draws earning one point. Scotland’s total for this season currently stands at 2.90, with the the four bonus points earned by Celtic and Rangers for reaching the Champions League group stages taking up the majority of that figure.
The Scottish Premiership champions have secured one draw after matchday three to add to the tally. Hearts can also add to that tally during their encounter with Serie A giants Fiorentina under the Tynecastle lights.
Scotland sit in eighth in the UEFA rankings through averaging close to nine points from the following three campaigns. That has secured the Scottish Premiership champions a direct route into the Champions League group stage this season, which will carry on to the 2023/24 campaign.
However, there are concerns after a stuttering start to the group stage that a resurgent Belgium and Austria could overtake Scotland this term, with Club Brugge and RB Salzburg leading the charge in the Champions League. Both side lead their respective groups at the midway point.
Belgian champions Club Brugge top Group B with three wins from three, capping off their impressive run in Europe with a win over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. Union Saint-Gilloise also boast two wins from two in their Europa League group, while Gent and Anderlecht are also off to positive starts in the Conference League. That means Belgium has recouped 5.60 points already this season.
Austrian league leaders RB Salzburg also moved ahead of Chelsea and Milan in Group E with a win over Dinamo Zagreb. Strum Graz and FC Zurich are also in with a chance of escaping the Europa League groups, with the tally taken this term standing at 3.30.
Should Brugge and Salzburg reach the last 16 both sides would claim an additional five points for their nation's total. As it stands Scotland have a rank at eighth with 35.80, with Belgium and Austria not far behind on 33.60 and 32.40 respectively.
Should the slump in Europe rumble on Belgium and Austria continue to chip away at the buffer between our ranking and the chasing pack, with Scotland on course to return their lowest coefficient point return since 6.75 in 2018/19. However, Rangers, Celtic and Hearts can put minds at ease by picking up some valuable wins on the European stage to extend the advantage into coming campaigns.
The Champions League is set to expand to extending to 36 teams in the 2024/25 season, with member clubs contesting a the prospect of two places going to clubs based on historical achievement. This could see the Scottish champions continue to rub shoulders with Europe's elite even if they do drop out of the UEFA top 10.
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