How Rangers and Hearts but not Hibs can be encouraged by their European draws

The proof of whether any European draw is a good one or a stinker is always in the playing.

Rangers' James Tavernier celebrates scoring from the penalty spot in the Champions League qualifying ousting of Union Saint-Gilloise a year ago. One of three Belgian clubs they have beaten in continental competition in the past three years as their third qualifying round draw has set up the possibility of a four opponent from that nation in Racing Genk. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

On the surface, though, Rangers being paired with either Belgians Racing Genk or FC Servette from Switzerland in the Champions League third round qualifying stage could be placed in the satisfactory bracket. It is a similar story for Hearts in them discovering that Norwegians Rosenborg or Northern Irish side Crusaders will await them at the same stage of the Conference League. Hibs didn’t prove so fortunate. A daunting assignment will await them in the second and third weeks of August – the scheduling for all European third round qualifiers – if they avoid slipping up against Andorran side Inter Club d’Escaldes across the next two Thursdays. That scenario would pit them against Swedish side Djurgardens or FC Luzern, the former heavy favourites against their Swiss opponents following their run to the last 16 of the Conference League, a campaign wherein they ran away with a section that contained Gent, Molde and Shamrock Rovers.

Rangers are entitled to feel comforted that Genk – who boast the highest coefficient of any of the clubs they could have drawn – should see off Servette, as the seeded side in this second round qualifying tie. Belgian teams have proved to their liking in recent times. In 2020-21, they beat Standard Liege and Antwerp en route to the the last 16 of the Europa League. And though it might have proved a white-knuckle ride, they overturned a 2-0 first leg deficit to Union Saint-Gilloise at the same stage of the Champions League qualifying phase a year ago. A 3-0 win on a fraught night at Ibrox ensured the job was done against a team that found themselves in a three way, topsy-turvy scrap with Genk and Antwerp for the Belgian title last season, a contest settled in added time of the final afternoon where the top spot changed handed between all three at various points. Genk – where Ianis Hagi was recruited from and a club that provided a brief stop-off for former manager Alex McLeish – fell to Shakhtar Donetsk in the third qualifying round of the Champions League last season, subsequently finishing bottom of a Europa League section that offered few possibilities in comprising eventual winners West Ham, Dinamo Zagreb and Rapid Vienna.

Four times Belgian champions, only once have they appeared in the Champions League group stages, back in 2011-12, failing to win any of their six encounters. They should have enough to set off Servette, a distant second to Young Boys in the Swiss set-up last season. A club with a chequered history, they have twice found themselves banished to the third tier since 2005 because of financial improprieties. In 2015 the Swiss Football League refused to grant them a licence to play in other than this tier because of their dodgy fiscal dealings. They have never won a Champions League qualifier in three campaigns, the most recent of these 24 years ago.

Hearts will fancy that they have a real chance to reach the Conference League play-offs with Rosenborg most likely to block their path in being seeded to overcome Crusaders. The may be a well-known name to the Scottish public, particularly from their Champions League jousts with Celtic and a recent surprise defeat by St Johnstone. In their on-going 16-team upper tier that has recently passed the halfway point, they sit a lowly tenth. If ever it dare be said, the Tynecastle club appear to have copped themselves a pretty good draw.