'Livi in pole position to beat rivals to Denholm'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
17 minutes ago
- BBC News
Hibs' Gray confident despite Midtjylland pedigree
Europa League, second qualifying round, second leg: Hibernian v Midtjylland (1-1)Venue: Easter Road Stadium, Edinburgh Date: Thursday, 31 July Kick-off: 20:00 BSTCoverage: Live on BBC Scotland & BBC Radio Scotland, text updates on BBC Sport website Hibernian head coach David Gray has reminded his players Midtjylland are a Champions League-quality side but says the Edinburgh side are "confident" of progress in Europa League believes Thursday's visitors, who thew drew 1-1 with Denmark, remain favourites and emphasised their quality with a 6-2 thrashing of Sonderjyske in the Danish Superliga on Monday night, an improvement on their 3-3 opening draw with OB Odense."That was all we could hope for from the first leg - to make sure you're still in the tie," Gray said."You've got something to play for in the second leg, knowing what that would do as well with the support and European football back at Easter Road." Fredrikstad, who finished sixth in Norway's Eliteserien, lie in wait for the winners."As you would expect, the players have trained really well, full of confidence, take a lot of confidence from the last game," Gray said."But we are also very quick to remind the players that it is only half time in the tie - it's a real difficult challenge we still face. Just because we've done so well over there doesn't mean it becomes any easier just because we're at home."They are a top team that's played in the Champions League. I keep saying that to the players. They're off the back of Monday night, they had a real positive performance and result, so they'll become a bit more confident."Gray thinks his side will have to "replicate that level of performance at least" from the first leg to to the small number of Danish fans making the trip over to support their side, the home contingent is set to be more than 18,500, breaking records set since Easter Road Stadium was having recovered from a torrid start to last season to finish third, routinely buoyed by an emphatic home support in crucial games against top-six opponents, Gray knows that energy from the crowd can play a huge part in the result."We're well aware of the challenge, players are well aware of the challenge, but these are the nights you want, this is why you do it," he said."A sell-out crowd, I believe. Because they've only got a few hundred supporters coming over, this will be the most Hibs supporters at a game for 40 years, potentially."The academy is doing so well, the women's team is doing so well, the feel-good factor around the football club at the moment and the fans play a massive role in that every single week."Midtjylland first-team coach Allan Jepsen is wary of the extra motivation the Hibs players will receive from a large home crowd. "We managed to get the ball into the dangerous zones several times, but we just weren't skilled enough," he told his club website. "The quality when we get in there needs to be higher."And it's clear that we don't want to repeat the start from last time. We can hopefully be the dominant team from the start." Team news Australia right-back Lewis Miller and midfielders Joe Newell and Rudi Molotnikov missed the first leg for Hibs through injury and will be absent coach Thomas Thomasberg made five changes to his starting line-up for Monday's domestic victory. Match statistics Hibs are looking to reach the group/league stage of European competition for the first time. Midtjylland reached the Europa League's new league phase last season - the fourth time they have progressed through the qualifiers in five have won two and lost one at home to Danish opposition in European a 4-0 win over Staevnet in 1962, they defeated Odense 2-1 in 2006 but lost 1-0 to Brondby in 2016 and lost the tie overall on have yet to record a victory in Scotland, losing 3-1 to Rangers in 2019 and drawing 1-1 with Celtic two years assistant coach Morten Rasmussen has fond memories of playing against Hibs, scoring a winning goal as a Celtic substitute in a 3-2 victory in 2010.
Daily Record
18 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Panathinaikos vs Rangers LIVE score and goal updates from the Champions League clash in Athens
Some Like It Hot. But will Rangers enjoy the heat of Greece? They will have to cope with sweltering conditions in the Olympic Stadium in Athens to continue their Champions League journey. Thanks to a 2-0 win in the first leg at Ibrox, Russell Martin's side are in pole position for the lucrative league phase of UEFA's top competition. However, there is plenty of work still to be done for the Light Blues and if Panathinaikos had been more clinical – and kept 11 men on the park – it might have been a different story in the first leg. Martin will prefer to look at the positives and that's the fact they kept a clean sheet and scored a couple of goals as he goes about trying to finish the job. A tie against Servette or Viktoria Plzen in the third qualifying round is the reward for the winners of this one and it would be a huge boost to the new Rangers regime following their summer takeover. Hamza Igamane and new signing Thelo Aasgaard failed to make the trip, which comes just days before Saturday's Scottish Premiership opener at Motherwell. Rangers will want to go into that one in a high and they can do that by securing their place in the next qualifying round. 17:03Alan Galindo Sterling putting in the graft in QATAR Dujon Sterling will have one eye on Athens as he steps up his recovery. The Rangers star is currently in DOHA as he looks to get back to full fitness. His colleagues are of course in Champions League action and he will be praying they can do the business in their quest to reach Europe's top table. Sterling gave fans an inside look at the facility and the sort of work he is doing away from the training ground in a bid to get back to full fitness as soon as possible. One clip uploaded to Instagram shows him running in an anti-gravity treadmill. Russell Martin's new era is up and running and the former Chelsea man will be desperate to get on the grass and show he can be a big player for his new boss. A number of new players have arrived at the club including right-back Max Aarons. Gers put foot on the Gass Rangers took full advantage of Sheffield Wednesday's problems to land Djeidi Gassama, who scored in the first leg of their win over Panathinaikos. And the Owls could soon be plundered for more talent after the crisis club, who have lost manager Danny Rohl and are in complete turmoil, failed to pay their players for a third successive month. Wednesday players could now refuse to play with the Championship kick off just 10 days away. The ongoing uncertainty around the club saw forwards Michael Smith and ex Rangers man Josh Windass end their contracts by mutual consent. Owner Dejphon Chansiri is looking to sell the club amid a number of embargoes. Coady a Dragons target Russell Martin is still trying to strengthen his squad and Mikey Moore is expected to join on loan from Tottenham Hotspur imminently. Conor Coady is another on the Ibrox side's transfer radar but the Leicester City man is now being targted by big spending Wrexham. Coady is into the final year of his contract at the King Power Stadium but has featured heavily in Leicester's pre-season schedule despite his uncertain future. Spanish coach Marti Cifuentes has taken up the reins with the Foxes following Ruud van Nistelrooy's departure and has hinted that the former Liverpool youngster is part of his plans for the coming season. Martin has bolstered his defensive ranks at Ibrox with the arrivals of Emmanuel Fernandez from Peterborough as well as Max Aarons and Nasser Djiga on loan from Bournemouth and Wolves respectively. The ex Scotland international sees Coady, 32, as someone who could add some much-needed experience to his back line. However, Mail Sport now report that The Red Dragons - owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney - want to bring in the England international as part of their ambitious plan to reach the English top-flight by 2027. Wrexham have secured back-to-back promotions to the Championship and the report adds that former Wolves skipper and 10-time England cap Coady is impressed with the intent shown by the mega-rich duo. The Racecourse Ground side have already smashed their transfer record twice in the summer window so far, snapping up Empoli's Liberarto Cacace for around £4million before splashing £5million on Lewis O'Brien from Nottingham Forest. Wrexham - managed by Phil Parkinson - are set to break the ceiling for a third time with the club closing in on a £7.5million deal for Ipswich Town forward Nathan Broadhead. Stadium switch Panathinaikos' ramshackle ground, Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium, is being rebuilt and the club will return back to their spiritual home for the new season. But it isn't ready in time for this clash with Rangers with the game switched to the Olympic Stadium in Athens. 15:46Gavin Berry The heat is on Thermometers are set to be nudging 35 degrees in sweltering Athens tonight. But while it will be testing conditions due to the soaring temperature, the Rangers players will be thankful it has dropped since the weekend. That led to the Greek government urging outdoor labourers to down tools and the Acropolis, the country's most visited ancient site, was closed as the country endured its third heatwave of the summer. They also advised tourists and residents to stay cool by avoiding heat and crowds as temperatures soared to about 40C. Ex Rangers striker Kris Boyd believes Rangers have to hold possession andhopes don't wilt in the Greek heat. The heat will be a factor. In terms of Russell and the way he wants his team to play, it's really important to go over there and keep the ball for 15, 20 passes and try to frustrate not only the home players, but the home crowd as well. Because if they can get behind their team, then it can be a difficult evening for Rangers, but they've given themselves a good opportunity to go through. It becomes difficult [in the heat] when you're chasing the ball, but if you're in control of it, and Russell has spoken about his team being able to keep the ball and for long periods of time, he'll be hoping that that comes to fruition in Athens, because if you can keep the ball from the opposition, that it goes a long way in a match. Whereas if you're the one that if you the team that's running about and trying to close the opposition down and get the ball back, it can be tiring. The heat will probably be mid-30s anyway, so it will be difficult, especially at this time of the season. 15:27Gavin Berry Predicted XI Comparing a Rangers manager to a Celtic luminary is tantamount to treason around these parts. However, deep down, there is a section among the Light Blues faithful who fancied a slice of Angeball for themselves and they now have their own blue-sky thinker in the form of Russell Martin. It's gung-ho time with the horseshoe firmly removed. The power of Postecoglou 's methods were his insistence to go for the jugular, home or away, rain or shine, so don't expect meek resistance when the whistle goes in the second leg of their Champions League second round qualifier against Panathinaikos. Sure they already boast a 2-0 victory from the first leg thanks to goals from Findlay Curtis and Djeidi Gassama. But Martin is built the same way as Postecoglou and he waxed lyrical about his admiration of the former Celtic boss days before Tottenham pasted his Southampton side in a result which put paid to his time at St Mary's. Rangers will go for it tonight in Athens because Martin has already said so, as the game appears set-up for a side who transition quickly against a Panathinaikos team desperate to score early and trigger a potty fanbase to untold levels of passion. The aforementioned Gassama appears in the mix to start but don't rule out 18-year-old Curtis getting the nod. The same is true for Danilo, Cyriel Dessers is back on the scene but the Brazilian's superior link-up play appears a necessity from the off. Here's how Record Sport think they might line up: 14:50Gavin Berry Prediction time Record Sport's top team try and predict how the showdown will go and who will reach the next stage of qualifying. Scott McDermott The tie is by no means over but Russell Martin's side can do enough to go through. With Djeidi Gassama in line for a start, he'll pose a major threat on the counter attack and will be key to Gers scoring a vital goal. Their experience - albeit under different managers - of going away from home in Europe and getting a result in recent years will be crucial. Panathinaikos 1 Rangers 1 Fraser Wilson Avoiding losing the first goal is important but I also strongly fancy Rangers to score as they exploit gaps when Panathinaikos open up and that should be good enough to see them through. It won't be without scares but a score draw will ensure progress is as comfortable as fans could hope for. Panathinaikos 2 Rangers 2 Keith Jackson Rangers take a two goal lead into this second leg but there's no way of knowing whether it'll be enough, given that the Greeks could have been three up in the first half of the opening leg at Ibrox. On the flip side, Russell Martin's side could have killed this tie stone dead after the turn around. An early away goal in Athens might knock some of the stuffing out of Panathinaikos but it will probably be a long, nervous night either way. Panathinaikos 2 Rangers 1 Gavin Berry It's going to be hot, humid and a bit sticky at times for Russell Martin's men. A typically nervy away day Champions League qualifier. Think Famagusta in 1995 and 2005, Copenhagen in 2003 and Belgrade in 2007 - but the two-goal lead can see Rangers through. Panathinaikos 2 Rangers 1 Scott Burns I think Rangers will have enough with their 2-0 cushion from Ibrox. There might be a few scary moments but I think they will see it through. Panathinaikos 1 Rangers 1 Ross Pilcher They might have to ride it out a bit but that could suit Rangers with the way Russell Martin wants them to play. It will be hostile, but they've done the necessary in Europe against better teams than the Greeks without a two-goal cushion. Panathinaikos 1 Rangers 1 14:44Gavin Berry Gers record in Greece Rangers will play in Greece for the sixth time they will be aiming for their first ever win there after drawing on their last four visits. Here's their record so far. 1994: CL QR: AEK Athens 2-0 RANGERS Rangers are well beaten in the Nikos Goumas Stadium after a double from veteran Dimitrios Saravakos, with new signing Basile Boli suspended. Rangers then lost the return 1-0 at Ibrox to dump them out of Europe. 1998: UC QR2: PAOK 0-0 RANGERS Rangers took a 2-0 lead from the first leg to the white-hot atmosphere of the Toumba Stadium and survived an onslaught with French keeper Lionel Charbonnier having a particularly good night after making a string of saves. 2003: CL GS: Panathinaikos 1-1 RANGERS Emerson had given Rangers the lead and they looked set to hold on for a huge win in the Champions League group stages before the ten-men hosts levelled through Pantelis Konstantinidis with three minutes left. 2008: UC R3: Panathinaikos 1-1 RANGERS Nacho Novo's late strike sent Rangers into the last 16 of the UEFA Cup on away goals after Ioannis Goumas had given the hosts the lead. Rangers went all the way to the Final before losing to Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester. 2024: EL League phase: Olympiacos 1-1 RANGERS Cyriel Dessers cancelled out a stunning second-half strike from Ayoub El-Kaabi to earn Rangers a decent draw in the new-look format. Under pressure manager Philippe Clement dropped captain James Tavernier and replaced him with Dujon Sterling in his line-up. 14:40Gavin Berry Pana boss sends message to Gers fans Panathinaikos gaffer Rui Vitoria has warned Rangers fans they partied too early at Ibrox - as he plans to end their Champions League hopes, writes Scott McDermott from Athens. The Portuguese boss believes his side can overturn a 2-0 deficit from Glasgow in Athens. Despite creating chances in the first-leg, Panathinaikos failed to take them as Russell Martin earned a vital victory in his first competitive game in charge. It allowed Rangers to put one foot in the next round but Vitoria is adamant the tie isn't over. He accepts that Ibrox punters were delighted with the win - but believes their over-confidence might come back to bite Martin's men. Vitoria insists home advantage will be crucial for the Greek outfit tomorrow night at the Olympic Stadium in Athens. When asked if he'd noticed Rangers celebrating at the end - and if he had a message for the Panathinaikos fans - Vitoria said: 'Good question. Of course, it was a result that gave pleasure and satisfaction to Rangers. 'But you should never forget there is a second match coming up. It's normal for their fans to be happy with the result. "We'll do our best because we're looking forward to qualification. Rangers are a good team but so are Panathinaikos. 'We'll have more than 40,000 fans behind us. They will give us confidence and we think we can still go through. "We have to be together and more united than ever. We had a nice atmosphere in Glasgow but, believe me, it will be a hot atmosphere in Athens. Our rivals will understand that it's not easy to play here - not for Rangers or anyone.'
Scottish Sun
18 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Panathinaikos vs Rangers LIVE as Russell Martin bids to keep Champions League dream alive
It's a huge match so early in the season GOING GREEK Panathinaikos vs Rangers LIVE as Russell Martin bids to keep Champions League dream alive – latest team news Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RUSSELL MARTIN's biggest priority is building a team which is capable of dethroning Celtic to capture the Scottish Premiership title. But it's all about Europe this midweek as Rangers aim first to conquer Greece by dumping another Shamrock club to become the new Kings of Athens. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up Martin kicked off his Ibrox reign with a massive 2-0 win over Panathinaikos at Ibrox in the first leg as Gers took the driving seat in the second round qualifying round tie. Stunning goals from Findlay Curtis and Djeidi Gasssama gives the Light Blues a much-needed two-goal cushion for when the return clash in Athens gets underway TONIGHT. The winner of this tie will face whoever comes out on top between Viktoria Plzen and Servette, with the Swiss outfit the favourites to advance following a 1-0 win in Czechia in the first leg. The losers, however, face arguably a tougher tie in the Europa League third qualifying round as the winner of Shakhtar Donetsk vs Besiktas lies in their wait. Plenty is at stake when Rangers face Panathinaikos in the blockbuster showdown. And SunSport has all the details ahead of the massive clash. What time does Panathinaikos vs Rangers kick off? Panathinaikos are hosting Rangers TONIGHT, Wednesday, July 30. The game will kick off at 7pm UK time. It will be held at the Olympic Stadium in Athens. What TV channel is Panathinaikos vs Rangers on and can I live stream it? Panathinaikos vs Rangers will be FREE to watch and stream on BBC Scotland. It will be broadcast live on the BBC Scotland channel and fans can stream the game live via the BBC iPlayer. Coverage begins at 6.45pm - 15 minutes before kick off. It will also be available for Rangers TV customers too. BBC Sportsound will have radio commentary for the match. Alternatively, you can follow all the action right here via SunSport's LIVE blog. Team news Panathinaikos will be without Emmanouil Siopis through injury, while Giorgos Vagiannidis won't be available either as he's suspended after picking up his red card in the first leg. Gers boss Martin, meanwhile, will be without several first team players after he didn't include them in his Champions League squad. These players include Clinton Nsiala, Ridvan Yilmaz, Rabbi Matondo (also injured), Ross McCausland, Jose Cifuentes and Dujon Sterling (injured). Summer signing Thelo Aasgaard is a major doubt along with Hamza Igamane after the pair missed training 24 hours before the big game. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
