Rangers return for ex-Celtic boss as blockbuster Europa League draw sets up two Battle of Britain clashes

Rangers learn their Europa League opponents

Rangers will face former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou in the Europa League after the draw for the new league phase handed them a tough set of fixtures including two battle of Britain clashes.

The revamped competition will see each club play eight matches against eight different sides in a single 36-team league - four home and four away. Rangers were the first side out of the hat in a new-look draw format that saw each Pot One side drawn out manually before being allocated their opponents, two from each of the four seeding pots, by an AI computer system.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Excting British derbies, how can we start better?" was the verdict of UEFA deputy general secretary Giorgio Marchetti as Rangers’ fixtures were unveiled amid gasps from the audience at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

Philippe Clement's side were handed an English Premier League double that will see them host Tottenham Hotspur, now managed by Postecoglou, as well as travelling to Old Trafford to face Manchester United. Rangers, who are hoping to return to Ibrox before the competition starts, have also been drawn at home against French giants Lyon, Swiss side Union Saint-Gilloise and Romanian outfit FCSB, formerly known as Steaua Bucharest, while they face away trips to Greek side Olympiacos, Swedish champions Malmo and Nice in France.

Rangers are drawn out of the hat for the UEFA Europa League draw by forrmer Atalanta player Glenn Stromberg. (Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images)Rangers are drawn out of the hat for the UEFA Europa League draw by forrmer Atalanta player Glenn Stromberg. (Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images)
Rangers are drawn out of the hat for the UEFA Europa League draw by forrmer Atalanta player Glenn Stromberg. (Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images

While the draw has provided Rangers with a number of glamour ties and exciting trips for supporters, it is about as tough as could have been anticipated. Celtic arguably have it easier in the Champions League after a more favourable draw presented them with a realistic chance of making the knockout phase.

Rangers will hope to do likewise but will need to claim some unexpected results in order to do so. They will be underdogs in all but two or three of their matches, leaving them with a difficult assignment to finish inside the top 24, which will be required to earn a place in the Europa League knockout round play-offs with the top eight qualifying directly for the last 16.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The match against Spurs carries extra intrigue with Postecoglou set to return to Glasgow for the first time since departing Celtic last summer. The Greek-Australian was a huge success across his two years at Celtic, winning five out of the six trophies he competed for, including back-to-back league titles and a domestic treble. He also enjoyed the upper hand in Old Firm matches against Rangers with six wins, two draws and three defeats in his 11 matches against the Ibrox side.

"Exciting,” was Postecoglou’s reaction to drawing Rangers. “It's good to be a part of. Some good games. I am sure I will get a warm reception at Ibrox and they'll look forward to seeing me."

It will be the first time Rangers have faced the North Londoners since 1962 when Spurs claimed an 8-4 aggregate victory in the European Cup Winners Cup. Rangers played Man Utd as recently as last month, losing 2-0 at Murrayfield in a pre-season friendly, but the sides last met competitively in the Champions League group stages in season 2010-11 with a goalless draw at Old Trafford followed by a 1-0 defeat at Ibrox courtesy of a Wayne Rooney penalty.

The order of schedule for the league phase has yet to be decided but Rangers’ matches will take place on the following dates: Matchday 1 - September 25/26; Matchday 2 - October 3; Matchday 3 - October 24; Matchday 4 - November 7; Matchday 5 - November 28; Matchday 6 - December 12; Matchday 7 - January 23; Matchday 8 - January 30.

Comments

 0 comments

Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.

Dare to be Honest
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice