Spanish giants await Rangers – UEL third qualifying round rundown

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Spanish giants await Rangers – UEL third qualifying round rundown


While Rangers have the second round of the Europa League to negotiate starting on the 26th, the third round draw will already have taken place three days earlier.

Having dispatched Macedonians Shkupi and hoping to do similar to Croatians Osijek, Rangers could find themselves among the big boys for the third round draw.

Here’s your Ibrox Noise guide to the heavy hitters unseeded Rangers could be facing should they negotiate the second round:

Sevilla are the top seeded side in the third round – the Spanish giants have been European regulars and winners in recent seasons, managed recently by ex-Milan coach Vincenzo Montella until he was fired in April – nowadays Pablo Machin has the reins. It is unlikely Rangers could overcome them but odder things have happened.

Fancy a trip to Turkey? Allan McGregor’s former stomping ground Besiktas lie in wait for any unseeded side in the third round, and will provide a huge test having finished fourth in the extremely strong Super Lig last season, while road to Manchester opponents Fiorentina may happily await their draw. Serie A’s La Viola seemingly took advantage of Milan’s banning from Europe and took their place when the Rossoneri were axed but today’s CAS ruling has put the red and blacks back in. So we’re not clear if it would be Fiorentina or Milan or both. Curious!

There are other big lads in there too. Manchester winners Zenit enter the competition at this stage, as do Dutch cracks Feyenoord and RB Leipzig, with other notable mentions including Burnley, Alkmaar, Bordeaux, Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Sparta Prague.

It all adds up to a hell of a draw on Monday and Rangers will have their work cut out to overcome any of the sides in it.

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14 COMMENTS

  1. One step at a time,the Croatians will be no mugs lets see how we deal with them first

    LETS GO WATP 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

  2. Is it not fair to say we seem to raise the bar in bigger games discounting recent old firm matches. we seem to be dragged down when playng so called lesser teams. 2008 being the prime example albeit different crcumstances? ps. we fear no foe!

  3. Exactly, as we seen at the World Cup, Croatians are no slouches, but as the big man Struth would say, we just have to do our best. We have to be realistic. What Murray done to our club, is not going to to be fixed in the short term. The best we can do, is play our best. That's that.

  4. Well, if we are fortunate enough to beat the Croatians we are going to need some serious quality additions if we are to make progress should we be drawn against any of that lot. We won't make progress without a proven goalscorer, a top quality midfield player and a quality squad. Having to rely on unproven youngsters, loanees and guys like Halliday and Hodson, unless we are going to serious upgrade the quality of loan signings rather that some of Liverpools' Academy!

  5. We’ll be taking whoever we get drawn against and be grateful of the opportunity. It’s the old cliche but we’ll be best served as fans as well as players of focusing on 1 game at a time.

    We are on the start of a new journey under all new management team and players with miles to go to get anywhere close to where we want to be. Fans getting carried away is a real problem.

    I personally don’t care a jot who we get in any draw, we need to win football matches against everyone everytime.

  6. Even if we get the Croats seeding we still remain in the wrong part of the draw.I fancy a return to Thessaloniki myself.

  7. If we Beat Osijek, King needs to get the chequebook out again!

    Out of the teams above id probably say the safest option is Macc Tel Aviv! 🤔

  8. Based on the competitive game against shkupi were going out in miserable fashion, this croatian team will be far better level, the boys need to find their A game and fast, dont mean to be a pessemist just dont want to get carried away, i think we alk know our level just now

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