A look at who Steven Gerrard’s men could face in the last 32
Rangers will today discover their next Europa League opponents as the draw for the round of 32 takes place.
It’s been a hugely impressive season so far for Steven Gerrard’s men on the European front, with four wins against Standard Liege and Lech Poznan as well as two draws against Benfica seeing them top Group D by two points.
Last Thursday’s 2-0 win against Lech Poznan was Gerrard’s 22nd win in Europe since taking the Rangers job, just one victory behind Walter Smith’s record.
He’ll have the opportunity to overtake that Ibrox legend in February when his side enter the last 32. Winning the group has ensured Rangers are among the seeded teams in today’s draw, meaning they avoid such heavyweights as Milan, Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax.
Here’s a guide to the teams Rangers could face in the next round.
ROYAL ANTWERP FC
The Belgian side sit seventh in the First Division, one place above Rangers’ Group D rivals Standard Liege. They finished one point behind Spurs in Group J, winning four and losing twice. Ivan Leko’s side sprung a surprise in October with a 1-0 win against Jose Mourinho’s men.
S.C BRAGA
Rangers need no introduction to this side, having beaten them 3-2 in a thrilling comeback at Ibrox in February before winning 1-0 in Portugal the following week.
A record of four wins, one draw and one defeat saw them finish level on points with Leicester City in Group G, but a 4-0 win for Brendan Rodgers’ side at the King Power Stadium meant the Portuguese team had to settle for second place.
DYNAMO KYIV
The Ukrainian side fell into the draw after being knocked out of the Champions League, but there was no shame in exiting a group that also included Juventus and Barcelona.
They took four points from six against Ferencvaros, while running Ronald Koeman’s team close in a 2-1 defeat at Camp Nou.
GRANADA CF
A tally of 11 points saw the Spanish team finish second behind PSV in Group E, despite registering a 2-1 win against the eventual group winners in the Netherlands.
They currently sit seventh in La Liga, one place above Barcelona.
FC KRASNODAR
Krasnodar were beaten 4-0 by Chelsea in the Champions League group stage, but four points from six against Rennes and a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge ensured a third-place finish and entry into the Europa League.
Despite sitting eighth in the Russian Premier League they registered a 5-0 win over Lokomotiv Moscow on Sunday.
LILLE OSC
Celtic secured their only group stage victory with last Thursday’s 3-2 win in Glasgow over the French side, whose tally of 11 points saw them finish second behind Milan.
They were held 2-2 in France by Neil Lennon’s men, but turned heads with a 3-0 victory over Milan in the San Siro.
MACCABI TEL AVIV
The Israeli team finished second behind Villareal in Group I, holding the La Liga side to a 1-1 draw in Israel after losing 4-0 in Spain.
They secured second by virtue of wins home and away against Sivasspor of Turkey.
MOLDE FK
Soundly beaten home and away by Arsenal, they secured qualification for the last 32 by virtue of four games unbeaten against Rapid Wien and Dundalk.
They currently sit second in Norway’s Eliteserien, two places above Champions League regulars Rosenborg.
OLYMPIACOS FC
The Greek team took just three points from their Champions League group, but finished ahead of Marseille on goal difference.
Their only win of the round came on the opening day against the Ligue 1 side, but they currently sit top of the Greek Super League.
REAL SOCIEDAD
A 1-1 draw away against Napoli ensured the La Liga team pipped AZ Alkmaar to second place in Group F.
They currently top their domestic table, having secured draws against second-placed Atletico Madrid and third-placed Real Madrid.
FC RED BULL SALZBURG
The Austrian side finished third in an extremely tough Champions League group featuring Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.
A 6-2 home defeat against Bayern was their low point, but four points from six against Lokomotiv Moscow ensured qualification.
FK CRVENA ZVEZDA
Also known as Red Star, the Serbian team finished second behind Hoffenheim in Group L .
They chalked up wins home and away against Gent, as well as a 5-1 victory over FC Slovan Liberec.
SK SLAVIA PRAHA
An impressive Group C showing saw the Czech side pip Hapoel Beer-Sheva and Nice to second place behind Bayer Leverkusen.
They beat the Bundesliga side 1-0 in Prague on matchday 2, before losing 4-0 in Germany in their final group fixture.
WOLFSBERGER AC
The Austrian side finished above Feyenoord in Group K, winning home and away against the Eredivisie team.
A 4-1 win in the Netherlands helped them achieve a second-place finish, but they were beaten twice by group winners Dinamo Zagreb.
BSC YOUNG BOYS
The Swiss team amassed 10 points on their way to qualification from Group A, including a 3-0 win over CSKA Sofia.
They finished second behind Roma, taking 10 points from 12 against CSKA and Cluj.
The draw will be made at 12pm today in Nyon, with games being played on February 18 and 25.
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