Domestically it’s not been a season to relish for Rangers fans, but European nights to remember haven’t been in short supply.
Philippe Clement’s men have been dazzling under the lights on a Thursday evening; from a rout against Nice in the south of France when Hamza Igamane announced his arrival, to a home draw with Premier League big-guns Tottenham Hotspur that should’ve been a victory, Premiership woes have been largely banished in the Europa League.
But defeat at Old Trafford against Manchester United, despite a moment of magic from the mercurial Cyriel Dessers, has now left their hopes of automatic qualification for the last 16 in the lap of the gods. Rangers know that they will have to defeat Belgians Royale Union Saint-Gilloise at Ibrox to stand any chance of making it into the last 16, whilst also hoping some results from elsewhere go in their favour.
Record Sport has crunched the numbers to determine what Gers fans need to look out for, and which other results will be key. Check it out here…
Can Rangers automatically qualify for the Europa League last 16?
Yes, that’s still a real possibility – albeit it is now out of their hands. If Rangers had managed to defeat Manchester United last week then it would’ve looked far more realistic and a victory against USG would likely have been enough. But with 10 teams, including Rangers and USG, now separated by just three points anything could still happen. We’ve broken down the permutations below, but it’ll be a nervous night where fans will have one eye on Ibrox and another on the vidiprinter from the matches elsewhere.
What would have to happen for Rangers to qualify for the Europa League last 16 automatically?
Assuming Rangers can take care of business at Ibrox against USG they will need five or more of the following results to go in their favour to secure an automatic spot in the last 16. A win would guarantee at least 13th and seeding for the play offs at the very least, with each of the results below resulting in them moving one place further up the standings.
- Elfsborg beat Tottenham
- Hoffenheim beat Anderlecht
- Manchester United beat FCSB
- Ludogorets beat Lyon with a three goal swing
- Galatasaray don’t beat Ajax
- Viktoria Plzen don’t beat Athletic Bilbao
- Bodo/Gilmt don’t beat Nice
- Olympiacos don’t beat Qarabag
How much prize money is at stake?
If Rangers can secure a place in the last 16 automatically then they’ll ensure that they pocket a handy £1.47m, compared to just £252,800 for making the knockout playoffs That’s before you take into account ticket sales from another sold out night at Ibrox – regardless of who the opponents are.
When is the Europa League play off draw?
If Rangers can’t make it into the last 16 then all eyes will be on the play off draw. That gets underway from 12 noon (UK time) on January 31, and matches follow soon after. The first leg of the play off ties will be on Thursday February 13 and the second legs a week later on February 20, with the seeded sides at home for the second leg.