Rangers discover Champions League third qualifying round draw fate as path to league phase becomes clearer
EUR ON Rangers discover Champions League third qualifying round draw fate as path to league phase becomes clearer
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RANGERS have discovered who they will face in the Champions League third round qualifier - IF they get past Panathinaikos.
Russell Martin kickstarts his Ibrox revolution tomorrow night with a visit from the Greek giants in the first leg before facing them again in Athens next Wednesday.
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The big game is just around the corner for Russell Martin
Credit: Getty
The winner of the tie will progress and move one step closer to reaching the main phase of the Champions League.
Rangers face THREE qualifying rounds in their gruelling journey to book their place in the tournament proper.
The Light Blues were handed arguably the toughest opposition in the second round when they were paired alongside Panathinakos, with Servette and SK Brann the other two potential options.
And it doesn't get any easier for Gers in the next round should they get the better of the Greeks over the next week.
Russell Martin's men have been drawn to face Viktoria Plzen or Servette.
The other potential options for Rangers here were Fenerbahce, Nice or the winner of Red Bull Salzburg's tie with Brann.
The Gers were the first team out of the hat meaning the first leg would be at Ibrox should the Light Blues progress.
Should they progress past Panathinaikos, the Gers will be back in action across 5/6 August and 12 August for the first and second legs respectively.
The Gers have never faced Czech outfit Viktoria Plzen before but Swiss side Servette are somewhat familiar foes.
They faced-off in Champions League qualifying two years ago at the same third qualifying round stage.
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On that occasion, it was Michael Beale's Light Blues who progressed 3-2 on aggregate.
A narrow 2-1 win at Ibrox was followed by a 1-1 draw in Switzerland, a result that was enough to send the Gers through.
A thumping aggregate defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the play-off round, however, put paid to the Gers' hopes of making it to the competition that season.
Should Rangers see-off Panathinaikos and progress past Plzen or Servette, then only the play-off round will once again stand in Rangers' way of the league phase.
Celtic will also enter the play-off round with the guaranteed spot in the competition proper no longer there.
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