Celtic, Hearts and Rangers' European difficulties - the team most likely to progress

The week that was in Europe for Scottish clubs. And it wasn’t positive. Celtic, Rangers and Hearts all lost comfortably in taxing defeats to RB Leipzig, Liverpool and Fiorentina respectively. Depending how you look at it, the good or bad news is that they do it all again across the next few days.

Just the one goal, Jota’s in Germany for Celtic, was scored, while eight were shipped across the three matches. If it wasn’t for a combination of excellent goalkeeping and erratic finishing, it would have been a lot more.

Liverpool had 23 shots in their 2-0 success over Rangers. Leipzig could easily have scored more with their 16 efforts in the 3-1 win and Craig Gordon's goal was peppered 25 times in Fiorentina's 3-0 victory at Tynecastle Park.

It leaves, after nine games between the three sides, two sitting bottom of their group and Hearts third. Between them there has been one win, a draw and seven defeats with 23 goals against and just four scored. The jump up in level for all three teams has been stark.

But what does the past week mean for Scottish football’s European representatives? Where does it leave them? Is there any hope?

Celtic

As things stand, of the three teams, Ange Postecoglou are the most likely candidates to be playing European football beyond November. They may be bottom of their group but they have two home ties coming up where they are certainly capable of getting six points ahead of a trip to Real Madrid.

Wednesday's defeat by RB Leipzig in Germany makes matters a little more complex. A point followed by wins at Celtic Park over Marco Rose’s side and Shakhtar Donetsk would have had Celtic in a very healthy position to the point the visit to the Spanish capital could have been one big party. There was plenty of discussion around Ange Postecoglou, the style he has imposed at Celtic and its transference to Champions League football. The Australian is not for backing down, and nor should he. Celtic have an identity and they should stick to it. It and the players are more than good enough to beat Leipzig and Shakhtar in back-to-back games. For Celtic to then go to Madrid not needing a result requires Real to win their next two games. All entirely possible and realistic.

Hearts fell to another heavy home defeat against Fiorentina. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

Now, here comes the concern. Callum McGregor. Postecoglou revealed the midfielder’s injury is “fairly significant” and his absence is not going to be a short-term one. McGregor is the heartbeat of the team, the leader and the reference point. How Celtic cope without him and who replaces him will be fascinating and go some way to deciding where the team are come the break for the World Cup.

Hearts

Even if Hearts were to lose in Florence on Thursday, the team will still be in with a chance, albeit a slim one, to qualify. The feeling amongst the club's support, however, is three points are the most that can be hoped for in the final three games, with Latvian side RFS due to arrive at Tynecastle Park later in the month.

A major bugbear for fans is how passive the team have been in defeats to İstanbul Başakşehir and Fiorentina. Coming up against two clubs that have significantly bigger budgets was always going to be difficult, but the demand was to come up with a way of playing which would make it difficult for the teams when they came to Tynecastle. That demand has not been met. There are mitigating factors. Manager Robbie Neilson has been without defender Craig Halkett and Kye Rowles, midfielder Beni Baningime and forward Liam Boyce. Four players who would have improved the team in and out of possession. Still, Hearts should have done better and been more competitive against the Italians.

Celtic have one point from their first three games. (Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images)

In terms of possession won in the final third across the Conference League, Hearts average the lowest per match at 0.7. The next closest are Shamrock Rovers and Pyunik at 1.7. Only RFS have a higher expected goals conceded figure out of the 32 teams. It is therefore difficult to see İstanbul and Fiorentina being put under intense pressure at their home grounds.

If Hearts were to go into the final group fixture with a possibility of qualification, that would be a real positive. In reality, a result is required in Florence.

Rangers

It's safe to say that the chances of Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men reaching the knockout stages are slim. They are one of only three teams without a point and one of two teams yet to score. They competed better against Napoli and Liverpool than they did in Amsterdam against Ajax. Ultimately, however, they have been well beaten in all three games.

Rangers have lost their first three Champions League games, the latest a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect for Rangers and the club’s fans, who have paid handsomely to watch their team in the Champions League, is the fact they have not taken their Europa League performances and the success generated into the Champions League. Van Bronckhorst displayed a defeatist attitude following the 4-0 hammering to Ajax. It was a completely different outlook to just months previously when not only was there a confidence about the team going into matches against the likes of RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund but there was a positive, structured game plan to match it. That created a potent concoction, especially at Ibrox.

The good news is two of the Rangers’ three matches are at home. But the onus is on the players and management to reach the levels of passion and organisation brought by those in the stands. Realistically, they require at least four points to have any chance of dropping into the Europa League as the third-place team. A tall order, one which is unlikely, but not unthinkable if they can rediscover the spirit of the run to the Europa League final.