How Athletic Bilbao can boost Rangers' UCL qualification hopes as La Liga conquerors look to soften blow of Europa exit
The Ibrox side will enter Europe’s elite competition at the second qualifying round stage - but they could potentially skip one round next season
Rangers may have suffered a controversial Europa League exit at the hands of Athletic Bilbao last week - but t their La Liga conquerors could potentially boost their prospects of securing Champions League qualification next season.
Barry Ferguson’s men were knocked out at the quarter-final stage by the Spanish outfit last Thursday, but Bilbao’s future success in the remainder of the competition could still benefit the Light Blues.
As things stand, Rangers are due to enter the League Path of the Champions League second qualifying round which wouldn’t offer them a guarantee of group stage football. The draw is scheduled to take place on June 18 and potential opponents remains unclear.
However, if Bilbao win this season’s Europa League and also secure a spot in the Champions League group stage directly through their domestic league position, Rangers could receive a huge advantage by being bumped up to the Champions Path due to their coefficient ranking.
That would mean they enter the competition a round later and guarantee group stage football next season, but that is not guaranteed in the current League Pathway.
Should the Gers suffer defeat in the third qualifying round, they would drop into the Europa League play-off, and then would either progress to the league phase of that competition or drop further into the Conference League if beaten at that stage.
Bilbao on course for a top-five La Liga finish
Athletic Bilbao - hosts of the Europa League final on May 21 - are the only team left in UEFA’s second-tier tournament that could offer this benefit to Rangers. The Basque outfit currently sit fourth in La Liga, five points clear of Villarreal in fifth, and nine ahead of Real Betis in sixth.
Ernesto Valverde’s side face Manchester United in the semi-final and should they advance to the final, should face either Tottenham Hotspur or Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt.
The positive news for Rangers is that Spain have gained an extra automatic Champions League place courtesy of Bilbao’s 2-0 win over the Gers coupled with Lazio’s surprise exit on penalties to Bodo/Glimt.