Rangers are preparing for the last 32 of the Europa League knockout round and go into their final group game against Lech Poznan knowing a win will ensure they top the group.
The Gers qualified with a game to spare and no matter what happens in Poland know that they are guaranteed European football beyond Christmas.
Steven Gerrard’s side will be focused on this match alone with the club set to ring the changes and hand opportunities to those recently unable to break into a form side.
It’s a superb chance to impress – and with Lech Poznan reportedly set to do the same – Rangers will be confident they can come away with a positive result in Poznan.
But after the dust settles on the Europa League group stages attention will very quickly turn to who the club gets in Monday’s last 32 draw.
No matter what happens, Rangers will face the threat of facing one of the sides who have dropped down from the Champions League.
The third-placed teams from Europe’s premier club competition drop down in the knockout stages of the Europa League and those sides have now been confirmed after the conclusion of the Champions League groups.
Of the eight sides who drop down from the Champions League, the four who finished the group stages with the most points will go into the seeded Europa League pot.
This is the pot which is also occupied by the Europa League’s group winners, with Ajax, Club Brugge, Manchester United and Shakhtar Donestk taking the spots from the CL this season.
The four who finished on the lowest points in the Champions League group stages will go into the unseeded pot alongside group runners up, with Dynamo Kyiv, Krasnodar, Olympiacos and Salzburg the teams dropping into this pot [UEFA].
All eight teams pose a particular threat and Rangers will know that if they draw one of the Champions League teams they will have a big challenge to get to the last 16.
The Gers will give themselves the best opportunity for a favourable draw if they can beat Lech Poznan this evening – but there’s also an added financial incentive behind a victory tonight.
