Rangers learn potential Champions League play-off opponents - reunion awaits with £3.5m Ibrox flop
The Ibrox side could face a potential reunion with a former players after the latest qualifying draw
Rangers will face either Red Bull Salzburg or FC Twente in the Champions League play-off round should they manage to see off Dynamo Kyiv in their third round qualifier.
Philippe Clement’s side are busy preparing for a two-legged tie with the Ukrainian side but they are now aware of their possible opposition if they advance in the competition with a trip to either Austria or the Netherlands lying in wait for the winners.
If the Ibrox side progress, they will play the first leg at home on August 20/21 with the second leg on August 27/28. Should the Gers be eliminated by Dynamo Kyiv then they would drop into the revamped Europa League league phase.
The Glasgow giants travel to Poland this afternoon ahead of their first leg against Kyiv on Tuesday, with the match taking place at the Arena Lublin due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The return leg on Tuesday, August 13 will be played at Hampden Park.
Kyiv impressed during a 9-2 aggregate win over Serbian outfit FK Partizan to set up the clash. Both clubs were seeded for the latest qualifying draw, meaning they could have faced any one of LOSC Lille, Fenerbahce, RB Salzburg or FC Twente.
The latter draw transpired, with Rangers now set for a possible quickfire reunion with £3.5million flop Sam Lammers, who was sold to the Dutch club for an undisclosed fee last month, with the forward penning a three-year deal. Defender Robin Propper moved in the opposite direction from the Eredivisie side a few days later.
Rangers are bidding to secure a place in this season’s new Champions League format which will NOT be split into individual groups. Eight matches - four home and four away - will instead by played with each game against different teams with different seedings. However, all rankings will be combined in one 32-team league.
Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)
- Founded: 13 September 1933; 90 years ago (as SV Austria Salzburg)
- Head Coach: Pepijn Lijnders
- Ground: Red Bull Arena (30,188 capacity)
- Nickname: Die Roten Bullen (The Red Bulls)
- 2022/23: Austrian Bundesliga, 2nd of 12
FC Twente (Netherlands)
- Founded: 1 July 1965; 59 years ago
- Head Coach: Joseph Oosting
- Ground: De Grolsch Veste (30,205 capacity)
- Nickname: The Tukkers / Pride of the East
- 2022/23: Eredivisie, 3rd of 18
Fans reaction to draw:
@GilesNiall: “Worse possible draw, yet again, season after season. Not so mad this time as I think Dynamo Kyiv will beat us quite comfortably anyway.”
@knox215: “Absolutely nailed on to get Twente and Sam Lammers scoring a hat trick and putting us out.”
@CLMWSN_10: “Propper going back to Twente. Lammers coming back to Rangers. That’s the hope, anyway!”
@Userisjamie: “We’re not getting past Kyiv... 100% not getting past Salzburg.”