Rangers to face lower-ranked side in Champions League draw
Russell Martin faces a tough competitive debut as Rangers head coach - and on Wednesday he will find out if his new side face Brann, Panathinaikos or Servette in the second qualifying round of the Champions League.The new Ibrox boss, whose side are seeded for the draw, needs to come through three stages if he is to manage in Europe's elite club competition next season.On paper, Panathinaikos would provide the toughest test, the Greek side being 111th in the European club rankings, 86 places behind Rangers, with Servette 139th (one behind Hearts) and Brann 189th.The Athens side have never lost to Scottish opponents over 90 minutes in four meetings with Rangers, two with Motherwell and one with Aberdeen, winning four of their seven games.However, it was Rangers who progressed when they last met the Ibrox side.The furthest Servette have progressed in the Champions League, meanwhile, is the third qualifying round, where they were beaten by Rangers after a 1-1 draw in Switzerland followed a 2-1 loss at Ibrox.In their only other meeting with a Scottish side, they lost by a single goal to Aberdeen in the European Cup second round in 1985.Last season, they were ousted by Chelsea in the Conference League play-off round after beating Braga.Rangers' final potential opponents, Brann, have only once qualified for group-stage football - back in 2007 in the Uefa Cup.Last season, the Bergen side beat Go Ahead Eagles in the Conference League second qualifying round, then defeated St Mirren 4-2 on aggregate after a 3-1 win in Norway, before losing to Astana in the play-off round.Whichever of the three sides they face, Rangers will begin their campaign on 22/23 and 29/30 July.Emerge victorious and they will be in the Champions League third qualifying draw on 21 July. Lose and it will be the same stage of the Europa League.
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