Dynamo Kyiv or FK Partizan: Who are Rangers’ UCL opponents? Flight costs, hotels, transport and stadium access

Rangers have learned they will be heading to either Ukraine or Serbia for their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie after being paired against Dynamo Kyiv or FK Partizan.

Philippe Clement’s side have a number of obstacles to overcome just to reach the group stage of the competition and the Ibrox club could have a clearer idea of who they might face on Tuesday evening with the first leg of both teams’ second round qualifier taking place in Poland - where Dynamo are currently playing their home fixtures.

Gers fans will already be on Skyscanner and Booking.com planning their travel arrangements ahead of the match, which is due to be held on August 6/7. Here is a full breakdown of everything you need to know about their possible opponents including the club’s history, the stadium capacity plus how to get there and how much it will cost...

Dynamo Kyiv - history & European record

Dynamo Kyiv are 16-time Ukrainian Premier League champions and finished runners-up in the division to Shakhtar Donetsk last season. They were founded in 1927 and have also won 13 Ukrainian Cups, 13 Soviet titles, 11 Soviet Cups, 2 European Cup Winners’ Cups and 1 European Super Club. Their European record across all competitions in total reads: Played 399 games, Won 170, Drawn 100, Lost 129.

They defeated Hungarians’ Ferencvaros 3-0 to win the 1974/75 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup before running out 3-0 winners on aggregate against Germans’ Bayern Munich to lift the UEFA Super Cup in 1975. More European glory followed in 1985/86 with a 3-0 victory over Spanish side Atlético Madrid clinching a second UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Dynamo have qualified regularly for the Champions League group stages in recent decades, with their most recent run in the competition coming back in season 2021/22 when they finished bottom of Group E behind Bayern Munich, Benfica and FC Barcelona.

FK Partizan - history & European record

FK Partizan are 8-time Serbian SuperLiga champions and finished runners-up in the division to arch local rivals Red Star Belgrade last season. They were founded in 1945 and have also won 7 Serbian Cups, 19 Yugoslav titles and 9 Yugoslav Cups. Their European record across all competitions in total reads: Played 306 games, Won 120, Drawn 68, Lost 118.

They famously reached the European Cup Final in 1966 but lost 2-1 to Real Madrid, who had previously knocked out Kilmarnock in the first round of the competition. FK Partizan have failed to qualify for the Champions League group stages since the 2010/11 season, having been eliminated FIVE times at the third qualifying round stage since then. They did manage to reach the play-off round in 2015/16 before losing to BATE Borisov. They have been heavily involved in the Europa League and Conference League in recent years.

Where do Dynamo Kyiv play? Stadium location and capacity

Dynamo Kyiv usually play their home fixtures at the 70,000-seater Olympic Stadium. However, the Arena Lublin in Poland, which has a capacity of 15,243 spectators, is being used for their second round qualifier. It was first opened in October 2014 after three years of construction. The ground was designed by the award-winning Estudio Lamela architectural office, which in the early 1990s prepared plans to modernize and enlarge Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid. The city of Lublin has a population of 336,339. It is the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland and is located 153 km (95 mi) to the southeast of Warsaw.

Where do FK Partizan play? Stadium location and capacity

FK Partizan play at the Partizan Stadium which as a capacity of 29,775 spectators having previously seated 50,000 people before conversion to an all-seater stadium. It was first opened in December 1951 after three years of construction and has underwent four separate renovation improvements in 1998, 2010, 2014 and 2015. The ground hosted Partizan’s first-ever Champions League tie in season 2003/04 when they were eliminated in the qualifying round by Bobby Robson's Newcastle United. Located in Autokomanda in the capital city of Belgrade, it’s population is currently estimated at 1,383,875.

Who is Dynamo Kyiv’s head coach & star man?

Oleksandr Shovkovskyi is currently in charge of Dynamo Kyiv. The former Ukranian goalkeeper - capped 92 times for his country - was also elected as a councillor of the city back in October 2020. He transitioned into the coaching scene in 2018 as assistant manager to Andriy Shevchenko with the National Team - a position he eventually vacated in January 2023 to focus on his full-time role at Dynamo.

STAR MAN: Andriy Yarmolenko - Captain of the Ukrainian National Team, the former West Ham United and Borussia Dortmund winger has won 122 caps for his country and scored 46 goals. Once hailed as the “new Andriy Shevchenko”, the 34-year-old is a top-level player blessed with an impressive physique, dribbling ability and electric pace.

Who is FK Partizan’s head coach & star man?

Aleksandar Stanojević is currently in charge of FK Partizan. He’s currently in his third spell in charge of the Serbian outfit and is extremely well-travelled having previously managed teams in Greece, China, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. A list of his former clubs include: OFK Beograd, FK Srem, Serbia (assistant), Serbia U/19s, Dalian Aerbin, Beijing Guoan, Maccabi Haifa, Beijing BG, PAOK Saloinka, Al Qadsiah, Beijing Renhe, Konyaspor.

STAR MAN: Matheus Saldanha - The Brazilian striker was their joint top goal scorer last season with 17 league strikes. The 24-year-old joined the club from Japanese outfit JEF United Chiba last summer for a reported fee of €1.3 million, scoring on his debut 24 hours later.

How to get there - Flight costs, hotels, transport links

Rangers fans will most likely have to travel by plane to reach either country. Supporters might also explore travelling to a country nearby and take a train journey to their onward destination. The most popular airlines used from Scotland to Belgrade are Wizz Air, Ryanair, easyJet and Lufthansa. Glasgow Airport to Belgrade has roughly 320 direct flights per week.

Travel is currently restricted to Kyiv due to closed airspace over the Ukrainian capital. Should Dynamo Kyiv beat FK Partizan to progress to the third qualifying round, it’s likely the game against Rangers would also take place in Lublin, Poland. There are NO direct flights to Lublin Airport, meaning fans would need to explore alternative options. Warsaw is located 153km (95 miles) away and jetting out of Edinburgh Airport, with Ryanair flying direct. Flights are also available via Lufthansa or KLM.

If FK PARTIZAN - As of the morning of Monday, July 22, flights from Edinburgh Airport to Warsaw departing on Monday, August 5 and returning on Wednesday, August 7 were showing at between £292 and £516 return. From Glasgow Airport, the same dates range from £331 to £549. All flights currently available on these dates require connecting flights.

If DYNAMO KYIV - As of the morning of Monday, July 22, flights from Edinburgh Airport to Warsaw departing on Monday, August 5 and returning on Wednesday, August 7 were showing at between £295 and £417 return. From Glasgow Airport, the same dates range from £340 to £385. All flights currently available on these dates require connecting flights.

Hotel prices in Belgrade vary from as low as £27 per night on Booking.com, while accomodation in Lublin can be purchased for as little as £28. Transport links round Belgrade are good. Bus services are a popular mode of transport for locals, with a regular timetable in operation. Lublin is similar well-connected in terms of public transport, but requires greater planning with regards to onward travel from Warsaw.

Fans have been urged not to book any travel arrangements until all the details for the matches have been confirmed by UEFA, which a club statement confirmed “should be communicated later this week.” Ticket information for both legs will be announced in the coming days once confirmation of the fixture details are set in stone.

Rangers v Dynamo Kyiv or FK Partizan fixture dates

The first leg will be played away from home on either Tuesday, August 6 or Wednesday, August 7 and the second leg at Ibrox Stadium a week later on Tuesday, August 13. Kick-off details have yet to be announced.

When is the Champions League play-off round draw?

The draw for the play-off round of the UEFA Champions League is due to be made on Monday, August 5, so Rangers will have an idea of what teams await them in the next round should they progress through the tie. The play-off round is the final round of qualifiers before the group stages.