Rangers fans hope they witnessed a glimpse of the future with their rousing derby victory over Celtic at Ibrox on Saturday.
And for the Ibrox side it really is all about next season and what they might achieve both domestically and in Europe under Michael Beale. And that means starting to look forward to that all-important Champions League qualifying draw.
July 24 is the date circled on the calendars for the third qualifying round draw when Rangers enter the most prestigious club tournament in world football. It was the same last season when they landed Belgian outfit Union Saint-Gilloise and managed to see them off before beating Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven over two legs in the play-off to secure a place in the group stage for the first time in more than a decade. Of course, it didn’t go as planned after a brutal reminder of how tough it is against the cream of the continent as they finished without a single point and the worst group stage record in the history of the competition.
But Rangers will be hoping to be better for that nightmare experience as they start to look forward. Interestingly, they could be on course to meet Union Saint-Gilloise again in that third round qualifier, for which Rangers are almost certain to be seeded. But many of the leagues from which Rangers will face the runners-up are still very tight and few more than the Belgian Pro League. USG were convincing 3-0 winners over leaders Genk at the weekend to draw level on points with their title rivals while Royal Antwerp are just three points behind and have still to face USG so all three could trade places. A meeting with Antwerp would see a rematch of a 14-goal aggregate thriller in the Europa League when Steven Gerrard’s men reached the last-16 under Steven Gerrard.
The other potential match-ups for Rangers would see them take on the runners-up in the Ukrainian Premier League which has resumed after war wrecked last season’s campaign. Dnipro and Zorya Luhansk are currently locked on 58 points each behind leaders and likely winners Shakhtar Donetsk.
Gers’ old Euro foes Young Boys have romped the Swiss Super League with Servette and Lugano separated by just a point behind the Bern outfit. That would be new opposition for the Light Blues. And in the Greek Super League it looks almost certain that Panathinaikos will finish second. They are five points behind AEK Athens but five points ahead of Olympiacos.
Negotiate the above, and Rangers would then face a play-off to unlock that £30 million Champions League to bounty and they could again be looking at facing PSV Eindhoven, the team sitting third in France (currently Marseille ) or this season’s Serbian shock troops FK TSC Backa Topola who are lying behind Red Star Belgrade.
POTENTIAL 3rd QUALIFYING ROUND OPPONENTS (AS IT STANDS)
1. Union Saint-Gilloise
2. Dnipro
3. Servette
4. Panathinaikos
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