As we’re covering today, Rangers host Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kyiv in the second leg of our third-round Champions League qualifier this evening at Hampden, and there’s more than just the next round on the line:

This is the point at which things get financially serious. From what we understand, the first two rounds yield no money for the victors or losers, but at the third round, the stakes are upped.

For those who get past the third round, they guarantee themselves a minimum of £4M prize money. That is the ‘compensation’ the losing teams get in the playoffs. And that means that if you do get to the playoffs, you either lose and earn that £4M, or you go one stage further and secure the filthy lucre that group participation earns clubs from this season onwards.

Simple translation: if Rangers beat Dynamo Kyiv, they are guaranteed £4M minimum.

That is a higher sum itself than the prize money for securing Europa League group participation (£3M), which Rangers would also aspire to achieve because the losers of the playoffs drop into the Europa League playoff round.

So no matter what, Rangers would get some darn decent cash if we can overcome Kyiv – not serious club-changing money, but better than nothing.

That said, if we actually overcome the playoff round then it’s not £4M we’re compensated with, it’s £65M. That’s club-changing. ‘Them’ lot already have it. They’re casually dumping £10M on some player they’re not even that desperate for.

The difference between getting to the group stage and not getting there is a chasm, and Rangers really, REALLY want to get to the group stage.

But let’s start by getting past the Ukrainians first…