Rangers received a big 2021/22 Champions League boost via a key result in the Danish Superliga title race on Thursday.
The Gers are getting a crack at Europe’s elite club competition next season and because of Scotland’s much-improved country coefficient, they will only have to negotiate two rounds of qualifying.
That’s a big improvement on how things were when Steven Gerrard first arrived at the club, with the Light Blues having to battle through round after round of qualifying just to make the Europa League group stages.
The standard is higher in Champions League qualifying, though, and consequently, seeding is particularly important.
As per a Daily Record report earlier this week, Rangers are still waiting to find out whether or not they will land the last remaining seeded spot.
All eyes are on a tense finish to the Danish Superliga season, with three teams fighting it out for the title.
Two of them, Brøndby IF and FC Midtjylland, have lower UEFA club coefficient ratings than Rangers and therefore, if they win the Danish league, the Gers will take the final seeded position.
If FC Copenhagen were to triumph, though, they would snatch the last spot ahead of Gerrard’s side, as they have a higher club coefficient rating.
Copenhagen are finishing the season strongly and have won four of their last five matches, including a 4-2 victory over Midtjylland.
However, fortunately for the Gers, it looks as though their last-gasp charge isn’t going to be enough.
That’s because Brøndby made full use of a game in hand on Thursday evening by defeating Aarhus 2-1 away from home, despite having a player dismissed in just the 35th minute.
The win took them three points clear of Copenhagen, ensuring that the capital club need to win their last game and hope Brøndby lose heavily to Göteborg, with a nine-goal swing required.
Even those circumstances wouldn’t guarantee Copenhagen the title, though, as Midtjylland are two points ahead of them in second and also boast superior goal difference.
Therefore, a Midtjylland draw at home to Aarhus on the final day should be enough for them to finish above the Superliga’s most successful club.
If Rangers are seeded, they will avoid dangerous opposition such as Olympiakos, Slavia Prague, Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade in the third round, which would be a major boost for their hopes of reaching the group stages.
In other news, a manager has provided an update on the future of an in-form striker with an Ibrox transfer clause.