How Celtic and Rangers will be impacted if Champions League qualification follows coefficient expectation

Qualification for the Champions League group stage is now under way. The preliminary round was played at the end of June, while the first qualifying round began on Tuesday evening with more games taking place this evening.

Unlike in previous years, Scotland’s entrants in the competition no longer have to begin in the early rounds. For example, in Brendan Rodgers’ first spell at Celtic, they started in the second qualifying round twice and the first qualifying round once. However, like last season, the Scottish champions go straight into the lucrative group stages, while Rangers will be required to navigate two ties.

So far 26 of 32 teams have been confirmed for the tournament proper, including Celtic. Therefore six places are up for grabs. Four will come through the champions path of qualification with two from the league path which Rangers are in.

To determine the seedings for qualification and Pots 2, 3 and 4 for the group stage draw, the UEFA club coefficient is used. With that in mind, how will the Champions League group stage look for Celtic and Rangers if qualification goes as the coefficient predicts?

The Ibrox club’s 54.000 coefficient points is the highest in the league path followed by Portuguese side Braga, who have been a regular entrant in the Europa League. Potential opponents for the two teams in the third qualifying round include Sturm Graz and TSC of Serbia, as well as Dnipro-1, Servette, Panathinaikos and Genk. They could then face either PSV Eindhoven or Marseille in the play-off round.

In the champions path, Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb have the highest coefficient. The other three teams with the most coefficient points are Galatasaray, Copenhagen and Young Boys, champions of Turkey, Denmark and Switzerland respectively.

It would mean the pots would be as follows:

Pot 1: Manchester City, Sevilla, Barcelona, Napoli, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Feyenoord

Rangers will be hoping to join Celtic in the Champions League group stages for the second season running. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

Pot 2: Real Madrid, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, RB Leipzig, Porto, Arsenal

Pot 3: Shakhtar Donetsk, Red Bull Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb, Rangers, AC Milan, Braga, Lazio, Red Star Belgrade

Pot 4: Copenhagen, Young Boys, Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, Celtic, Newcastle United, Union Berlin, Lens

It highlights Rangers' impressive coefficient. If they navigate their two two-legged ties they will definitely be in Pot 3. Meanwhile, Celtic have a chance of getting in Pot 3, albeit a slim one. There are already five teams assured of being in Pot 3 spot meaning there are three places up for grabs. Rodgers’ men will have a vested interest in qualification and will be hoping for a number of upsets with all six expected qualifiers possessing a higher coefficient points total than the Scottish champions’ 31.000.

Celtic faced Real Madrid, RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk in last season's Champions League group stages. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Celtic will want two of Sturm Graz, TSC, Dnipro-1, Servette, Panathinaikos and Genk to qualify via the league path and the likes of Molde, Sparta Prague, AEK Athens and Antwerp to emerge from the champions path.

The draw for the Champions League group stage takes place on Thursday, August 31 with the first set of matches being played on September 19-20.