The guaranteed Rangers safety net in play for Champions League qualifier

Rangers go into Tuesday's huge Champions League qualifier with Royale Union Saint-Gilloise knowing they need to win by at least two goals in 90 minutes.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men trail by two goals from the first-leg, having lost 2-0 in Belgium.

It means they will need to win by two goals to take it to extra-time at Ibrox or by a three-goal deficit to ensure progression to the play-off round where they will face either Monaco or PSV Eindhoven.

Twelve months ago, Rangers fell at this stage to Malmo, albeit in the champions path of the Champions League third round qualifying rather than the league path they are currently in.

At that point they dropped into the Europa League play-off round and had to navigate a two-legged tie with Armenian outfit Alashkert.

This time around it is different for Rangers. If they fail to overturn the loss in Belgium they would drop straight into the Europa League group stage.

If they were to overcome Royale Union Saint-Gilloise but then lose in the Champions League play-off round they would also drop into the group stage.

In doing so, they would land in Pot 1, alongside the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Lazio and Roma due to their 50.250 coefficient, which was boosted by the 19.000 points they picked up from reaching last season's Europa League final.

Rangers have a Euro safety net in play. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

They have competed in the Europa League group stage in each of the last four seasons, qualifying from three of them.

Rangers managing director suggested the run to the final was more financially rewarding than reaching the Champions League group stages.