Rangers potential Champions League rivals Club Brugge given damning verdict by Belgian expert
The Ibrox side were drawn against either the Belgian side or RB Salzburg if they complete the job next week against Viktoria Plzen after a comfortable 3-0 first leg home lead.
The Belgian side have a big advantage after winning the first leg 1-0 in Austria, but former Anderlecht, Gent and Genk manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck is far from impressed with Club Brugge this season so far.
READ MORE: I'm going to tell you exactly what I think about Russell Martin and his Rangers rant – Barry Ferguson
READ MORE: Barry Ferguson reveals the Rangers mole has been leaking team news for months
He said: "With last season's team, Club Brugge would have won 3-0 or 4-0 in Salzburg. They need to bring in new players urgently.
"They allowed Salzburg to have eight attempts at their goal in the first 15 minutes alone. That's far too many and a warning. A more clinical side would have taken some of those chances.
"They must bring in defensive recruitments, especially. I certainly don't think the tie is over either. Salzburg are a young team with enormous drive and are very dangerous in the counter-attack."
Follow Record Sport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-the minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond.
You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers page, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season.
We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here.
Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Donnarumma jokes abound after Chevalier howler on PSG debut
Lucas Chevalier's howler in the UEFA Super Cup against Tottenham prompted PSG fans to worry they will regret forcing Gianluigi Donnarumma out. Inevitably, the decision to freeze out hero of the Champions League campaign Donnarumma in favour of Chevalier poured extra pressure on the new goalkeeper. On his debut, he saw Palhinha's effort come off the bar with Micky van de Ven ready to turn in the rebound. UDINE, ITALY – AUGUST 13: Marquinhos, Lucas Chevalier and Willian Pacho of Paris Saint-Germain line up prior to the UEFA Super Cup 2025 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur at Stadio Friuli on August 13, 2025 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by) Far worse was the second goal, as Cuti Romero's diving header on a Pedro Porro free kick found Chevalier totally unprepared, the finish bending back his gloves to loop into the empty net. Chevalier comparison to Donnarumma doesn't start well TOTTENHAM DOUBLE THEIR LEAD! ⚽️⚽️ New captain Cristian Romero on the scoresheet! 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 13, 2025 It was a real howler from the €40m plus bonuses purchase and did not go unnoticed by PSG fans who felt Donnarumma was harshly treated. The error was followed by numerous jokes on social media with supporters pointing out Donnarumma was probably at home chuckling as he watched his replacement struggle so badly. But that's none of Gianluigi Donnarumma's business 🐸☕ — B/R Football (@brfootball) August 13, 2025 Many more pointed out the Italian 'would've saved that easily' and while he may not have the skills with the ball at his feet that Chevalier might command, he is still perhaps the best shot-stopper in the game right now. 48′: PSG 0-2 Tottenham 😳 — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) August 13, 2025 Set-piece perfection 😮💨 Cristian Romero doubles Tottenham's lead against the UCL Champions 🔥
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jarrett Stidham shines again as Broncos dominate Cardinals in 27-7 win
The Denver Broncos dominated the Arizona Cardinals with a 27-7 win in Week 2 of NFL preseason at Empower Field at Mile High on Saturday evening. The Broncos rested most starters, but coach Sean Payton made a few exceptions, including tight end Evan Engram. The veteran helped Denver march 97 yards on the team's opening drive with a 58-yard catch-and-run. After quarterback Jarrett Stidham then connected with rookie receiver Pat Bryant for 29 more yards, rookie running back RJ Harvey punched it in from eight yards out to give the Broncos an early 7-0 lead. Arizona matched that score with an 11-play, 67-yard drive that ended with quarterback Jacoby Brissett's 16-yard touchdown pass to receiver Simi Fehoko to tie the game at 7-7. Stidham later threw a touchdown pass of his own, connecting with receiver Troy Franklin on a 27-yard score to give the Broncos a 14-7 lead. After Denver's second score of the game, the Cardinals replaced Brissett with Clayton Tune at quarterback late in the first quarter. Stidham stayed in the game for the Broncos' third series and the offense drove down to the two-yard line and lined up to go for it on 4th-and-1 before offensive lineman Alex Palczewski was penalized for a false start. After the penalty backed the team up five yards, Denver settled for a 26-yard Wil Lutz field goal to make it 17-7. The highlight of that drive was a 35-yard run from running back Jaleel McLaughlin. Stidham ended up playing the entire first half and he connected with Franklin again late in the second quarter on a 17-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 24-7. After Lutz missed a 64-yard field goal attempt, the Broncos took a 17-point lead into halftime. Stidham finished his night 16-of-23 passing for 240 yards with two touchdowns. Lutz later converted a 35-yard field goal in the third quarter to extend the lead to 27-7. Sam Ehlinger took over at quarterback in the second half and he threw what would have been a touchdown pass to Caden Prieskorn late in the fourth quarter, but the tight end fumbled the ball and the Cardinals recovered it in the end zone for a touchback. It didn't take long for Denver to get the ball back and run out the clock, securing a 27-7 victory. On the injury front, backup offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo was carted off the field in the third quarter and was quickly ruled out with a knee injury. Gargiulo has been competing for a backup swing guard/center role. Outside linebacker Garrett Wilson also left in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. Up next for the Broncos is a preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints next weekend. Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans. This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos vs. Cardinals: Final score and game recap


New York Times
32 minutes ago
- New York Times
Jaxson Dart's impressive preseason has Giants walking a fine line
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jaxson Dart tucked himself into a corner of a cramped media room as Russell Wilson stood at the podium discussing the Giants' 31-12 win over the Jets in Saturday's preseason game. Dart playfully stuck his fingers in his ears when Wilson was asked to comment on the rookie's dazzling performance. It was a lighthearted moment that belied an awkwardness that is sure to mushroom if Dart continues to thrive. Advertisement It's impossible not to get excited about what Dart has shown in his first two appearances in NFL games. He followed an impressive debut last Saturday in Buffalo with an even better performance against the Jets. Dart completed 14-of-16 passes (including 13 straight to finish his night) for 137 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He added a 1-yard touchdown run on a quarterback sneak. Jaxson Dart is fired up after the QB sneak TD 🔥 Watch on @NFLNetworkStream on @NFLPlus — NFL (@NFL) August 17, 2025 Dart looked exceptionally comfortable operating a no-huddle attack that was catered to his strengths from Ole Miss' offense. He got the ball out quickly, marching down the field with a succession of crisp passes on a pair of touchdown drives against Jets backups in the third quarter. Dart's impressive start has left coach Brian Daboll to walk a fine line. It's no secret that Daboll was a major driver in the decision to trade a pair of third-round picks to move up from No. 34 to No. 25 to land Dart. As Daboll said to Dart as he signed off on a phone call on draft night, 'I'm banking on you.' So there's no hiding from how important Dart is to Daboll, who enters his fourth season with the Giants on thin ice after going 9-25 the past two seasons. Daboll put himself in position to land the Giants' head coaching job in 2022 based largely on his role in developing Josh Allen from a raw first-round pick to an MVP-level quarterback in Buffalo. If Daboll can repeat that process with Dart, they'll be together for the next decade. Of course, that type of talk is far too premature after two preseason starts. Even Daboll noted that, 'we've played a couple preseason games against probably some vanilla looks.' And Daboll was sure to dismiss any hint of a quarterback controversy when asked if there's anything Dart can do to get in the starting mix. Advertisement 'Russ is our starter and we're going to keep developing Jaxson,' Daboll said. Daboll again referenced that they have a 'plan' for Dart. There was also a plan in Buffalo during Allen's rookie season when Daboll was the Bills' offensive coordinator and Giants general manager Joe Schoen was the team's assistant GM. But any notion of developing Allen on the bench was scrapped less than three quarters into the season opener when the Nathan Peterman-led Bills fell into a 40-0 hole to the Ravens. Allen replaced Peterman in that game and was the starter the next week. The Giants are in a much better position to avoid such a rash departure from their plan. Wilson is a proven veteran with a potential Hall of Fame pedigree. He represents a bridge option that should prevent the Giants from forcing an acceleration of Dart's timeline. But Wilson is only a stopgap to Dart. And the clock ticks louder with every impressive showing from Dart. 'It's a big priority for us, to help him improve,' Daboll said. Dart was thrown into action unexpectedly in the second quarter against the Jets, replacing Wilson one play into a drive. Dart said his first reaction was, 'Serious?' He then promptly flipped a sidearm screen to tight end Theo Johnson, who rumbled for a 30-yard gain. Wilson was reinserted for the next snap to finish the drive. Just another wrinkle in Daboll's development plan. 'You're trying to put these young quarterbacks in as many situations as you can, so that's what we did,' Daboll said. Jaxson Dart on coming in for that one snap with #giants starters. 'I had no idea. I'm thinking we're gonna get into it. … When your number is called, do the best you can do.' — Charlotte Carroll (@charlottecrrll) August 17, 2025 Dart took the field with the Giants' first-team offense on the final possession of the first half. Working with the starters has been a rarity for Dart, who received a single rep with the first-team offense in the first practice of training camp. That was his only unsuccessful drive, as he threw under-threw rookie Beaux Collins on a back-shoulder fade on second down with right guard Evan Neal getting beat for a pressure. Left tackle James Hudson got beat inside on third-and-6 from the Jets' 42-yard line, causing Dart to escape the pocket to his right. He was a shoestring tackle by defensive lineman Kingsley Jonathan away from finding an entire side of the field vacant. Advertisement '(That's) going to haunt me for a little bit,' Dart said. 'If I had gotten my feet up, I would have scored.' Dart said he spoke with the coaches at halftime and expressed his desire to push the tempo. The Giants exclusively operated from the no-huddle on his next two drives as Dart found his rhythm. It speaks volumes that Daboll is soliciting input from a rookie quarterback. 'There are a lot of conversations,' Dart said. 'I think it's really unique. You talk to guys all around the league and rookies being able to have input to the coaches, that's not very common at times. I think that our relationship from the players to the coaches has been top-notch since I got here. They put me in good situations, they let me express the things that I like that I feel confident in running. And the tempo drives, I felt comfortable in that.' On the first touchdown drive, Dart drilled a 19-yard pass to wide receiver Montrell Washington on an in route. Then he went through his progressions to find running back Dante Miller open for a 6-yard gain on third-and-4. That set up a beautiful 20-yard touchdown strike to tight end Greg Dulcich. Dart faked a pitch to Miller and then waited for Dulcich to get open up the seam before pulling the trigger. 'That was a look that we kind of missed on,' Dart said. 'We weren't on the same page the week before. It happened exactly how we kind of prepared for it to be.' On the next drive, Dart remained decisive and efficient. He hit Miller on a check-down on third-and-8 and the speedy back bolted for a 9-yard gain. Dart found former Ole Miss teammate Juice Wells on a play-action rollout for an 11-yard gain to set up his 1-yard touchdown plunge. Even with Dart's playing time for the night completed, the coaching continued. Daboll made his way down the sideline to watch with Dart as No. 3 quarterback Jameis Winston faced a third down in the red zone late in the third quarter. Advertisement 'You learn together,' Daboll said. 'For a young quarterback, you grow together and that's what we're doing.' Wilson completed 4-of-7 passes for 108 yards, no touchdowns and an interception on four drives. The majority of his production came on an 80-yard bomb to Collins on a patented moon ball to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Devin Singletary on the Giants' opening possession. Wilson's next two drives resulted in punts, and he finished his night with an interception on a miscommunication with Collins when the rookie broke to the post and the quarterback lofted a deep ball to the corner. Wilson is mostly in control of how long he's able to keep Dart waiting in the wings — both in the postgame media room and on the depth chart. If Wilson plays well, the Giants will stick to Plan A, which is riding the veteran and allowing Dart to develop behind the scenes. But if Wilson struggles, it will become impossible to keep Dart on the bench based on his strong first impression in the preseason. Only Daboll knows when the inevitable transition will come. All Dart can do is continue to improve so he'll be ready whenever that moment arrives. 'They've done it with so many other quarterbacks,' Dart said. 'I trust them in the process. So I'm really just focused on each and every day, how can I get better?' Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle