The easiest route for Rangers to guarantee Philippe Clement a top-eight Europa League place

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Rangers have already qualified for the Europa League Playoff Round despite being defeated by Manchester United last week.

The Europa League defeat at Old Trafford leaves Rangers 13th in the revamped league phase with the club’s 11 point total guaranteeing progression with a game to spare.

Rangers currently occupy a seeded place in the next round but will hope to climb up the table with a positive result at home to Belgian side Union Saint Gilloise.

Philippe Clement can even still secure progression to the Round of 16 in the Europa League but there are a number of results which have to go the Rangers manager’s way on matchday eight.

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Rangers need Europa League home defeats

Rangers News have worked out what would need to happen in the other matches for the Gers to earn a top-eight finish.

As we explained on our Rangers Europa League permutations story, there are a number of avenues available to Rangers for qualification.

Rangers firstly need to beat Union Saint Gilloise at Ibrox to have any chance of a top-eight finish.

Rangers then need at least one of the teams currently occupying 5th to 8th (Lyon, Spurs, Anderlecht, FCSB) to lose their match on MD8 (all four teams are currently on 14 points).

Rangers (11 points) could then go level on points with the losing side and would need the necessary goal difference swing in their favour.

The fixtures of those teams are as follows:

• Lyon v Ludogrets
• Tottenham v Elfsborg
• Anderlecht v Hoffenheim
• FCSB v Manchester United

Rangers need Europa League quartet to drop points

This is where things get a little bit more complicated.

Whilst Rangers need at least one of the teams in 5th to 8th to lose, the Gers also need all of the teams in 9th to 12th (Galatasaray, Bodo Glimt, Viktoria Plzen, Olympiacos) to drop points.

If two of the teams in 5th to 8th lose, then one team positioned between 9th and 12th could win and Rangers would still progress.

If three of the sides in 5th to 8th lose, two could win between 9th and 12th and Rangers would progress.

In the unlikely event all four lose, Rangers would still go through if three teams between 9th and 12th win on the night.

Rangers have a superior goal difference to Bodo Glimt (+3) and Galatasaray (+4) so would go above both even if they draw their matches, with both sides currently on 13 points.

Have you got a headache yet?

Here’s who the teams in 9th to 12th play on Europa League matchday eight and the matches to keep an eye on.

• Olympiakos v Qarabag
• Athletic Bilbao v Viktoria Plzen
• OGC Nice v Bodo/Glimt
• Ajax v Galatasaray

Rangers have outside chance of Europa League top-eight finish

OK so clearly there are a number of different possible outcomes that would see Rangers finish in the top-eight of the Europa League this Thursday.

Presuming Rangers can defeat USG, then Manchester United will be expected to get full points against FCSB in Romania.

Three of the teams in 9th to 12th also face tough away matches which they will do well to win.

Viktoria Plzen will do well to get anything at Athletic Bilbao, whilst Bodo/Glimt face a trip to OGC Nice and Galatasaray visit the Amsterdam Arena and Ajax.

Remember, Rangers only need these teams to drop points.

The issue is that the other three teams currently occupying a top eight place have home ties and are favourites to win their matches.

Tottenham should dispatch Elfsborg whilst you would expect Lyon to at least manage a draw if not a win against Bulgarian side Ludogorets.

Anderlecht welcome Bundesliga side Hoffenheim, who need to win to stand any chance of progression, but the Belgians have been one of the tournament’s stand out performers.

But the match which might just put the competition’s top eight out of Rangers’ reach is Olympaicos against Qarabag, with the Greeks notoriously ruthless on home soil.

If Lyon, Spurs and Anderlecht won their matches, then Rangers would need Olympiacos to slip up at home to the Azerbaijani club.

Easiest route for Rangers to make Europa League last-eight

• Rangers win at home v Union Saint Gilloise
• FCSB lose at home v Manchester United
• Olympiacos draw/lose at home v Qarabag
• Viktoria Plzen draw/lose away v Athletic Bilbao
• Bodo/Glimt draw/lose away v OGC Nice
• Galatasaray draw/lose away v Ajax

Second easiest route for Rangers to make Europa League last-eight

• Rangers win at home v Union Saint Gilloise
• FCSB lose at home v Manchester United
• Anderlecht lose at home v Hoffenheim
• Viktoria Plzen draw/lose away v Athletic Bilbao
• Bodo/Glimt draw/lose away v OGC Nice
• Galatasaray draw/lose away v Ajax