Every possible Rangers Champions League opponent dissected as insiders give us the lowdown on draw rivals

Daily Record

2 days ago

Insiders from Greece, Switzerland and Norway give us the lowdown on every team Rangers could play in qualifying
Russell Martin will discover which team will provide his opening test as Rangers boss when the draw is made for the Ibrox side's opening Champions League qualifier on Wednesday.
New Gers gaffer Martin meets his new squad for the first time on Monday but won't have long to get them whipped into shape before they kick-off their Euro bid on July 22/23.
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As seeds, the Light Blues will be expected to progress through to the third round of eliminators but they will face a tricky first tie with either Greeks Panathinaikos, Swiss Super League outfit Servette or SK Brann of Norway lying in wait.
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Panathinaikos
How did Panathinaikos get on last season?
They started the season really awful. Even though the managed to qualify for the main draw of the Conference League, the Shamrock had a really tough time domestically. That led them to change manager. Diego Alonso left, Rui Vitoria came. But with the Portuguese boss in charge, Panathinaikos's luck changed and they embarked on a 16-game unbeaten run. However, since the turn of the year, it's been another spell of ups and downs. But an important win away against AEK Athens in the final weeks of the season ensured they finished second behind Olympiacos to claim a place in the Champions League qualifiers. Not a great campaign but then not bad given how the season started.
Who is the danger man Rangers will have to take care of?
Panathinaikos's player of the year last term was Azzentin Ounahi but he has returned to Marseille after a year-long loan. That leaves Fotis Ioannidis as the man Rangers would have to be fearful of. He did not have the best of campaign's last year but the club captain has the quality to make the difference for Panathinaikos. Last summer, the club rejected bid close to 30million euros from Ipswich. There is still a possibility that he may get transferred during the summer window.
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Tell us about the coach and his style of play?
Portuguese gaffer Rui Vitoria is a former Benfica boss. His arrival last year proved to be the turning point that saved the season for Panathinaikos. When he arrived in Athens, the Greens were stirring eighth and going nowhere. But with Vitoria's leadership, they made an impressive comeback to finish runners up. As for his style, he does not have one specific philosophy. We have seen his Panathinaikos team playing a controlled and high-quality football, but also a times relying on a strong defence, with many players behind the ball. He is a good manager but he isn't focused on creating a stable team with one specific identity.
Will Panathinaikos fancy their chances of beating Rangers?
Panathinaikos have recorded some big results in Europe lately, knocking out Marseille and Lens. They also ran Ajax close in Amsterdam before being squeezed out on penalties. The club's approach to European competition means they respect all opponents but do not fear any team. Based on that I believed they will be confident of qualifying, but with the understanding that Rangers is a really good team who have also had some great results in Europe during the last few years.
Servette
Daniel Visentini, football writer for the Tribune de Genève
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How did Servette get on last season?
The club did well, finishing in second place in the Swiss Super League. They were twice leaders in fact after hitting the table summit both in October and in March. But they lacked the consistency to stay there, mostly due to a small squad and injuries to key men like Steve Rouiller, Alexis Antunes and Julian von Moos. They eventually finished 10 points behind champions Basel.
Who is the danger man Rangers will have to take care of?
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Bosnian international Miroslav Stevanovic is the main threat in the Serviette line-up with his capacity to be strong on the right wing. Antunes is a creative player who operates in the No10 slot.
But don't forget about Timothe Cognat, the guy who provides the rhythm in the middle of the pitch.
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Tell us about the coach and his style of play?
Thomas Haberli, a Young Boys legend, joined as coach last summer to replace René Weiler, who was the boss when Serviette last played Rangers in 2023. He had no real experience working at that level but he did a decent job leading the side to second place. But of course he has his critics who claim he was too conservative with his choices when the chance was on to win the title.
Will Servette fancy their chances of beating Rangers?
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Of course Servette will think there is a way to win if they end up drawing Rangers again. The Ibrox side will be the favourites to progress but Servette can take confidence from the fact they were not so far away from getting a result when the teams met two years ago.
Brann
How are Brann getting on this season?
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The team is is currently sitting second in the Norwegian league, which is already a third of the way through the season. The team has done well this year, but should have more points. In some games, the team has completely dominated but unfortunately conceded easy goals – or failed to capitalise on their total control. Brann has had three good seasons in a row. A healthy and positive culture has been established in the club after a shameful 2021 season ended with relegation and allegations of a sex scandal (Google it, it was quite the story and led to three players being fired). The style that has been established since is fun to watch: aggressive and attacking football, high pressure, entertaining games with lots of goals – both ways. This has also led to many more spectators finding their way to the home matches. Brann has almost sold out its home stadium for every match with 16,000 spectators.
Who is the danger man Rangers will have to take care of?
Brann has a good central line in the team, but midfielders Felix Horn Myhre and Emil Kornvig are the two key men Rangers should keep an eye on. Both are creative and hard-working and absolutely essential to the way Brann plays football. Brann also has some young talents who are predicted to have a promising future in Eivind Helland and Rasmus Holten, both defenders. Niklas Castro is an offensive player who has been very, very important in Brann's play in recent years. He scores on all penalties, pretty much, has a very accurate foot, and is creative and hard-working. Unfortunately for Brann, and fortunately for Rangers, Castro is now facing surgery due to a foot injury. He is therefore out indefinitely – it has been said 'several months' and it is doubtful whether he will be fit for the Rangers game.
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Who is the coach and what is his style?
Brann hired a new Icelandic coach this winter after the previous coach decided to leave to try his hand at coaching in the French top league with Saint-Etienne. It didn't go so well and he was recently relegated with the French team. Freyr Alexandersson is from Iceland, has coached clubs in Denmark and Belgium before, and has taken Bergen and Brann by storm. He has a great attitude, friendly, is offensive in his style and is a very open coach who talks to the media all the time. Freyr is very open about Brann's ambitions in Europe this year. In the last two seasons, the club has failed to qualify for the Conference League group stage in the final playoff round. This year, the club aims to reach one of the three group stages. The club is expected to strengthen its squad before the match against Rangers (or whoever it may be). Icelandic player Sævar Atlí Magnusson has already been signed and will be available from July when the Norwegian transfer window opens.
Will Brann fancy their chances of beating Rangers?
This is a difficult question. Experts interviewed by local newspapers in Bergen consider Rangers to be the weakest of the three opponents Brann could face. It would be huge for Brann and Bergen to be allowed to face Rangers, such a big and traditional club in a beautiful country. Norway and Scotland have a lot in common. And especially the west coast of Norway, where Bergen is by far the most important city, has long historical and cultural ties. The geography is the same, costal cold weather with rain and winds, people pretty much the same. For my part, I hope Brann draws Rangers. Not because I think it will be easier for Brann to advance. But because Glasgow is a great city with fun people, and an easy accessible trip for the many Brann supporters who are guaranteed to make the trip to the away game. I was there last year for the match against St Mirren. Amazing atmosphere and stadium. And it's always very special to go to football matches in Scotland.